The Upside to Naivety
Sometimes, the best thing for your career…is to begin without a clue! In the Spring of 2012, only two days after my college graduation, I embarked on the enigmatic profession of teaching. I walked blindly into a Pre-k classroom without a speck of knowledge about my school’s curriculum, my student’s names, or even how to unlock the staff bathroom! To my shame, I quickly discovered how visible my ignorance was when a small girl, with a squeaky voice, raised her hand, during circle time, and asked “Do you even know the rules?” Busted. I didn’t know the rules. I didn’t know the tricks. I didn’t know anything about teaching this skeptical looking jury of four year olds. How could I possibly mold minds when mine felt molded into mush? But in all my clueless questioning, I couldn’t have sensed the one and only advantage of my inexperience: I didn’t know the traditions. I didn’t know how things had always been done. I didn’t have the directions to the beaten path, so I was forced to take the r...