Perfection

“Perfect!” “That was a perfect answer!” “This is the perfect chair for my room!” “She’s a perfect angel!” “Practice makes perfect!” “Nobody’s perfect.” Or even, “A Perfect Storm.” What do we mean when we use phrases like this, and is perfection to be desired, or even possible? In a school, where evaluation is taking place all the time, the little imperfections that make us human can be the cause of a great deal of anxiety.

As we’ve reached the time for mid-trimester reports, and faculty have begun sharing what they have observed as children’s strengths and areas for improvement, I’ve been thinking a great deal about how we, as a school community, can help children become the best “themselves” they can be. I’m convinced that it’s not by holding up a standard of perfection and pointing out the ways that they fall short. Rather, we can help each child identify the things that (s)he does particularly well, believe that those things are important and valued, and use those things to bypass weaker areas. Working from our strengths is what helps us learn and grow. We are all works in progress, and this is especially true while we are in school. A report card is never an assessment of who we are; it is an assessment of where we are along the path toward becoming ourselves. Mid-trimester reports are one of those stepping stones; they help both children and the adults who care for them understand a bit of how the journey is going and whether there is a need to take a turn at the next crossroad. They help teachers be mindful of the mode of instruction that best supports each child’s journey, as well.

Walk into a Whiteman Primary classroom and look for the many different things that are going on at the same time. Some students may be listening to specific instructions from the teacher. Others might be reading those same instructions (or different instructions if they are working at different levels). Still others might be practicing their skills on the computer, while another group is writing a response. Those who have finished an assignment may be taking a quiz or test. Some students are working individually, while others are collaborating. Some are working on presentations of their knowledge in a graphic format, while others are writing reports or preparing for speeches. Still others are sitting on the floor playing a knowledge-based game. Not every child will find that writing is the “perfect” way to share his knowledge; nor will every child be able to express herself creatively, but each child finds something that honors his or her way of thinking and learning in the mix of teaching modalities, assessment opportunities, and social interactions that make up the classroom

When we remember that we are all different with different strengths, we can read a report card that celebrates those strengths as well as reminding us of relative weakness, as a bit of a roadmap rather than a statement of judgment. We can think about how we can shore up weaker areas by using our stronger ones. As Anna Quindlen once said, “The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” And at Whiteman Primary, we might amend that to read, “…becoming your best self.”