At my first Career Center appointment in September, my Career Coach asked what I would do with my findings after writing about “such an interesting topic.” At the time, I did not have an answer for her, but then on October 13, 2017, I received an email from the Coalition of Adult Basic Education (COABE) to submit a proposal for a workshop at their national conference, and an idea struck. I decided to end my thesis with a transcript of a potential workshop, delivered to education colleagues across the country. I define both teaching and vulnerability, and then share some of the universalizibities I discovered on my journey to here.
The Universalizability of Vulnerable Teaching
What does vulnerability look like to you? Share some personal thoughts.
Brené Brown defined vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.”[1] Palmer identified teaching as “a daily exercise in vulnerability.”[2] I believe both perspectives encompass teaching with vulnerability. “Uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure” in the classroom does not mean the teacher shares with her students the fight she had with her partner the night before or how much the administration is restricting her ability to teach creatively. Rather, this definition asks teachers to release the idea that the teacher is the god of all knowledge, while students are empty vessels, waiting patiently to be filled. If one believes she knows everything about a subject, she loses touch with the “daily exercise in vulnerability” required to connect with students honestly.
Vulnerability in the classroom looks like a teacher allowing the lesson to drift from the meticulous plan, to meet the needs or interests of her students. Vulnerability means the teacher admitting she is neither perfect nor all-knowing. She admits, “I do not know.”
Teaching and vulnerability are intrinsically linked. I can’t give you any tips to be freed from vulnerability. Nothing to take back to the classroom to implement immediately, only things to think about.
What is my definition of teaching?
“It’s easier to try than to prove it can’t be done.”[3]
Connection: the teacher doesn’t hold knowledge, she helps you unlock it. Socrates believed “the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being!”[4] The connection between a teacher that cares and a student that feels respected helps each to examine their lives. Does your student hate math but love to draw? Have them illustrate homework.
Communication: listening to what is said and what isn’t. Teaching is not only about disseminating content. We offer guidance, counseling, and a scaffold for young humans to learn how to navigate through the world successfully.
Teachers are asked to act as mediators and facilitators in classroom, and to teach students how to learn independently, to collaborate and to reflect. They are also asked to scaffold the holistic growth of student’s Self, helping to face challenges of [a] knowledge society.[5]
Such tasks require honest, compassionate, and vulnerable communication and connection. We lead by example. If we ask our students to be vulnerable, we must first practice and demonstrate what that vulnerability may look like.
“I don’t like math,” hides I’m afraid to try something and fail.
“I’ll never be any good.” I’ve already shut down and can’t hear you.
“This is stupid.” I’m afraid you’re going to laugh at me.
What is my definition of vulnerability?
Finding universalizabilities everyone can relate to. Everyone struggles with connection: Did I just blow my big opportunity? How will I ever look them in the face after that fiasco? I can’t believe I was so stupid that I…?
Mistakes happen. Learn from the experience, and share, if necessary, to build understanding with others.
Having to take a deep breath before sharing something personal and relevant, but finding the strength to share anyway.
Vulnerability is not a single vaccine and, if faced once, your life is free from experiencing that emotion again. Vulnerability is more like food: regardless how much you eat, eventually, the need returns. With vulnerability, however painful, comes a deeper understanding of who you are, and a stronger connection to others.
5 Universalizabilities and their Application
1. Vulnerability is difficult, and you can’t build up an immunity.
Vulnerability looks different for everyone
The best teaching requires vulnerability. The teacher is not omnipotent, and the best way to model growth mindsets is through self-acceptance.
Vulnerability requires sharing with intention, discretion, and self-compassion.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love. Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited his freedom. Only the person who risks is truly free.[6]
2. To make a difference, you must be authentic.
Authenticity thrives when we explore our biases, opinions, and expectations of the world. We must know who we are.
Past failures can be a wall against making new disappointments, or it can be a door that leads to new discoveries.
Show yourself the compassion that you willingly offer to your best friend.
A mistake can be final and fatal, leading to perfectionism. A misstep leads to another path to explore. Practice engaging with missteps, to learn.
Remember: “I am somebody. I was somebody when I came. I'll be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful, and I am strong. I deserve the education that I get here. I have things to do, people to impress, and places to go.”[7]
3. Ask for help.
I don’t have to be right, and I don’t have to go it alone.
Everyone that travels the Hero’s Journey has mentors, guides, and teachers.
We are all vulnerable. And ashamed. And brave. We know instinctively how important vulnerability is, and appreciate valiant sharing of raw emotion.
Don’t be afraid to ask yourself what you need to be happy. Seek it out.
“A well can give out water because it is designed with a continuous supply of water coming in, so there can be a supply of water going out of the well. … People [need] a continuous source of refueling, refilling, and replenishing … to [give] a lot every day. … To give a lot, you need to have a lot to give, so make sure you are filling Your Life Well.”[8]
4. Share your story.
No one knows exactly what or how you feel.
Everyone can relate to happiness, sorrow, loss, excitement, fear.
I write to hear what I think, and I write to understand the life around me. Scholarly Personal Narrative uses the power of memoir to share a story, and scholarly research to add efficacy to that story.
Analyze past experiences with loving kindness. The past happened. Explore the experience with new eyes and an understanding that the only thing you can take with you are your insights.
Say what you mean and believe what you say. But always make it a point to leave room for the ellipsis dots that, in theory, can end every sentence you write, and every story you tell, and every truth you proclaim. … We ask you to write as many stories as you can muster.[9]
5. Be a wanderer in your own life.
A colleague and friend once kept special coloring books and crayons on a high shelf. After school, we spent quiet time, coloring and processing the day.
One day, I described my lack of fulfillment, how dissatisfied I was with not being able to connect with other teachers. She smiled and called me a wanderer: someone who was not content to spend her whole life in one place for an extended period.
“Be a wanderer in your own life” does not mean you must move jobs or geography every three years. Instead, by wander, I mean explore. Take an adult enrichment course: learn sign language, take a pottery class, read a book, and find people to talk about the surprise plot twist with.
Do something that you’ve always thought was interesting. Wander from your routine, wander from your norm. The greatest journey anyone can ever take is to wander into who and what contributes to the self, to embrace the truth that “there is no one alive more You-er than You,” as Dr. Seuss says.[10]
No failure will stop us from following our bliss. No mistake is too large to learn from. Failure Absolutely Is Learning. Welcome to Persevere, and congratulations on beginning your adventure![11]
[1] Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, (New York: Gotham Books, 2012), p. 34.
[2] Parker Palmer, “The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life.” California: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 1998, p. 17.
[3]A-Z Lyrics.com, “Blue World-Moody Blues,” accessed October 20,2017, from https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/moodyblues/blueworld.html.
[4] Jacob Held, Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! (Maryland: Rowman, & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 2011), p. 04.
[5] Luca Tateo, “What Do You Mean By ‘Teacher’?” Psychological Research on Teacher Professional Identity, (University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy, 2012). Originally published in Psicologia & Sociedade; 24 (2), 344-353. 350.
[6] Skip Towne, “Leo Buscaglia on Risks.” YouTube, published February 20, 2015, accessed October 27, 2017, from https://youtu.be/-RDwHKpXnjs. 01:24-01:51.
[7] Rita Pierson, “Every Kid Needs a Champion,” TED Talks Education. Published May 2013. Accessed December 11, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion. 03:58-04:13.
[8] Carrie Stack, The Dream Boss: Inspire Individuals and Teams to Succeed.” 2015. CreateSpace Publishing, p. 64-67.
[9] Robert Nash and Sydnee Viray, “Dear Students: A Letter from Your Co-Instructors,” Scholarly Personal Narrative blog, modified 2014, accessed September 27, 2017, from http://blog.uvm.edu/intrdisc/.
[10] Kinder Garden, “Happy Birthday to You, by Dr. Seuss, read aloud. Dr. Seuss’s Birthday,” YouTube. Published March 02, 2015. Accessed October 26, 2017, from https://youtu.be/Bz79JFl57rs. Time: 12:07-12:11.
[11] Jennifer Way, 2015 Business and Professional Women Young Careerist speech content, [Personal communication]