The practice of making your decisions and behaviors match your ideals is the work of a lifetime. We are all working on it.
It’s why New Year’s Resolutions continue to exist and hold our attention. The desire of matching ideals and behaviors.
Our students will repeatedly fail at this matching–just as we all will. It is on the teachers (imperfect themselves) who understand this to execute a three-part reaction plan when our students fail.
- Forgive them.
- Empower them to fix the mistake.
- Help them clarify their ideals and make plans to match them in the future.