"I try to teach my students in the beginning of the year about growth mindset versus fixed mindset."

"My first year teaching middle school, I had many days that felt like failures. There were definitely moments of hope, but most days I felt like I was in way over my head with behavior management, planning engaging lessons, grading, analyzing data, paperwork, and on and on. The worst times were feeling like I was failing my students and possibly even causing them to regress.

I prayed and read the Bible a lot, talked with other teachers, vented, kept a journal, cried once in a while, tried to find a balance between work and rest, tried to remind myself that I was like a baby learning to walk, and gave myself grace. I never wanted to give up because I had hope that it would get better the more experience I had.

In hindsight, I cringe at some of the moments. I remember my first year and I'm not sure anyone could pay me enough to go back. However, I also know I had to go through those times and I believe God used them and placed people in my life that helped me along the way. I was able to experience joy during a time that I felt like a failure. I try to teach my students in the beginning of the year about growth mindset versus fixed mindset. When I tell them that failure can be an opportunity for growth and that we often actually learn more from our mistakes, I can speak from experience."

- Erin [Kentucky]