Something New
Posted by PLB Blogger · 1 Comment
A few days ago I was watching some children playing in the falling snow and ice covered playground – slipping and getting up again. They seemed to be having so much fun going down intentionally, sometimes even pushing each other. It made me think about how our attitudes toward falling change so much as we grow up. For a toddler, falling is fun. They just enjoy the experience and laugh through it. But as we grow up we are so afraid to fall, so hesitant to take risks and so afraid of failure.
The kids playing in the snow enjoyed going down and were joyful at getting back up again. They weren’t down for long. Adults, on the other hand can spend too long processing and reflecting on our failures instead of enthusiastically standing up and trying again.
I’m inspired to be a little more courageous this winter. Taking a few more risks, going further away from my comfort zone, and trying something new. In my classroom it may mean trying out some new technology, and in my personal life – maybe it’s time to learn ice skating!
Do you have a story about a time when you were adventurous?
I remember teaching my son to ice skate. I had just read a book about the importance of failure as a learning experience. So as we strapped on his skates, I told him, “You know you cannot really skate well until you have fallen 10 times.” He got out there and fell immediately, picked himself up, skated around. Stopped. Skated around some more. Fell. Smiled at me. “That’s two,” I said. Then he got up and skated around for about 20 minutes. He told me he fell one more time, but was afraid he would never get to 10. I’m told him he’d have to keep practicing.
I know he’s fallen a few times since then (not necessarily on the ice). I don’t know whether he’s reached 10 yet, but it is a few years later now, and he is self-supporting and engaged to be married next year.