What do you do if your teaching fails and you need to find a balance between self-care and reflection?

1 Acknowledge your emotions

The first step is to acknowledge and accept your emotions, rather than suppressing or ignoring them. Teaching is a personal and emotional activity, and it is natural to feel hurt, frustrated, angry, or sad when things go wrong. However, these feelings can also cloud your judgment and prevent you from seeing the situation objectively. Therefore, it is important to give yourself some time and space to process your emotions, and to seek support from your friends, family, or peers if you need it. You can also use some coping techniques, such as breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, or physical activity, to calm yourself and release tension.

2 Analyze the situation

The second step is to analyze the situation and identify the causes and consequences of your teaching failure. You can use some tools, such as the SWOT analysis, the 5 Whys technique, or the SMART goals framework, to help you organize your thoughts and evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You can also collect and review some evidence, such as student feedback, test scores, observations, or self-recordings, to see what worked and what did not work in your teaching. Try to be honest and critical, but also constructive and positive. Avoid blaming yourself or others, and focus on the facts and the solutions.

3 Plan for improvement

The third step is to plan for improvement and set some realistic and achievable goals for your future teaching. You can use the SMART goals framework to help you define your goals in terms of specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound criteria. You can also identify some actions and strategies that will help you reach your goals, such as taking a professional development course, seeking feedback or mentoring from a colleague, revising your lesson plans or materials, or trying a new teaching method or technique. Make sure to monitor your progress and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small.

4 Seek feedback

The fourth step is to seek feedback from your students, colleagues, or supervisors, and use it to improve your teaching. Feedback is essential for learning and growth, and it can help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement, as well as the impact of your teaching on your students' learning. However, feedback can also be challenging and difficult to accept, especially when it is negative or conflicting. Therefore, it is important to have a growth mindset and to view feedback as a gift, rather than a threat. You can also use some tips, such as asking open-ended questions, listening actively, thanking the feedback giver, and acting on the feedback, to make the feedback process more effective and productive.

5 Practice self-care

The fifth step is to practice self-care and maintain your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Teaching is a demanding and rewarding profession, but it can also be exhausting and stressful, especially when you face failure or criticism. Therefore, it is vital to take care of yourself and to balance your personal and professional life. You can do this by setting healthy boundaries, prioritizing your needs, managing your time and energy, engaging in hobbies and interests, and seeking help when you need it. You can also use some strategies, such as positive affirmations, gratitude, or self-compassion, to boost your self-esteem and confidence.

6 Learn from failure

The sixth step is to learn from failure and to embrace it as a part of your teaching journey. Failure is inevitable and unavoidable, but it is also a valuable source of learning and improvement. Failure can help you discover new possibilities, challenge your assumptions, develop your resilience, and enhance your creativity. Failure can also make you more empathetic and understanding of your students' struggles and needs. Therefore, instead of fearing or avoiding failure, you should welcome and appreciate it, and use it as a catalyst for growth and change. Remember that failure is not a reflection of your worth or ability, but an opportunity to learn and improve.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?