Getting Past Perfectionism
Welcome to issue 3 of The Optimalist, in which we contemplate our collective struggle with perfectionism, the conditions needed to find flow in structured learning, and the importance of education at this moment.
Since our last issue we’ve stumbled into the somewhat hidden conflict that perfectionism is one of the greatest internal struggles educators confront. We speculated, and weren’t even sure about it ourselves, until it came up naturally as part of a separate discussion we were having with the community.
The response was so strong that it influenced the topic and host of the first #Optimalist chat on Twitter, which we held on Feb 17. The issue is a tender one - many educators admitting that much of their activity is rooted in the desire to see everything to a pre-determined end.
As educator John Miller admits, “What is perfect to you might not be perfect to another.” So then - to what gain is the strive for perfection? If anything, it limits our ability to grow; it stifles the potential for our work to change over time. We must reconcile ourselves with the other side - the one that wishes we could remain more calm or somehow be more prepared for challenge when it arises. Isn’t it ironic that the way we prepare for change is to not prepare much at all?
To start, we think this means that there is an opportunity for transformation. After all, optimalism is the antidote to perfectionism, and it’s possible flow in education could be a goal for us all.
Optimalism asks you to reach for impressive goals, but to make each step a process in learning. If you become preoccupied with perfect classroom behaviors, plans, designs, assignments, you might be disappointed as these fall short of your expectation. What happens when we don’t let ourselves move forward without the first step being flawless?
We believe that educators are faced with a tremendous opportunity. After all, students look to us for answers and we must meet them with the best chance to learn how to think and develop independently, with clarity of their own decisions, and the meaning that comes with them. To this end, we can never be perfect, but try to move in more perfect directions.
The Optimal Learning Experience Scaffold
The more perfect direction we are interested in exploring with you is how optimal learning plays out in classrooms.
This edition’s new article is dedicated to the topic of how to set the conditions for flow in classrooms. It includes a proposed scaffold for setting these conditions that educators can relate to, and is based on the neuroscientific foundations for flow.
Check out our blog and let us know what you think!
After you read, you can come back here to comment and join the conversation in the thread below.
The Next #Optimalist Chat…
Join us on Twitter Thurs, March 17, for our next discussion. This is where we we learn from each other, and draw our next big ideas. Search the tag #Optimalist to participate or follow along.
The Optimalist Recommends…
As a complement to the work we are publishing, we would like to give you a path to discover the words of other educators and researchers who share our philosophies.
Can Schools Help Students Find Flow?
Mindfulness Moment: Each issue, we will offer you an element of mindful living that you can try yourself and hopefully in your classroom.
Take a moment for yourself with Mindful Eyes, from The Character Effect
Follow us on Twitter
We are a small team of product and community managers who would love to connect with you and start learning together. Are you ready to join our school of fish? 🐠
Follow → Sara // Arlen // Andy // Brian // Ali
Don’t be afraid to say hi, and use the tag → #optimalist
I relate to this predicament on so many levels: as a former educator, a professional, a new(ish) mother. So what I do is strive for the best, expect the worst, and land somewhere in between. I've had to learn to forgive myself - with the expectations my students will also forgive me as long as I own up to my own inadequacies or incompetence. Embracing this mentality has allowed me to forge deeper relationships with students, colleagues, and beyond.