Nobody's Perfect

I like to think I'm good at what I do.  I arrive at school early each day to prepare.  I work almost every night for a little bit and a few hours each weekend.  I spend a lot of time online looking for ideas, reading educational articles and research, and of course, blogging.  I attend professional development, try new things, and reflect on my practice daily to improve. I have lots of patience with the little ones, give extra time to ones who need help, appreciate each child's unique abilities and personality, and try to always keep my sense of humor.  I collaborate and cooperate and coordinate.  

But no matter what I do, I know I'll never be perfect.  I make mistakes. Often.  I flub up lessons.  I give miscues.  I sometimes get crabby with the kids.  I've even walked the kids to art when they are supposed to be in spanish.  Occasionally, I mess up the date on the board or give too many directions and confuse the little darlings.   

But no matter what I do, I know I'll never be perfect.  I still have a lot to learn. Every time I talk with another teacher or walk into another classroom, I learn something new or see something wonderful.  Every professional development or new software program or technology that comes my way, I work hard to learn and incorporate into my classroom.  There's new curriculum to read up on and incorporate.

Even though I'm certainly not perfect, some things can be.  Like the perfect storm.  And we all know that practice makes perfect and have heard the beauty of someone who is pitch perfect.  Maybe we've thought about the perfect crime, and there is no denying that everyone loves a perfect gentleman or would like to be a perfect "10".  Hopefully, we all one day find our perfect match.

Dictionary.com defines perfect as follows:  (note #4)

per·fect

 [adj., n. pur-fikt; v. per-fekt] 

adjective

1.

conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type: a perfect sphere; a perfect gentleman.

2.

excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement: There is no perfect legal code. The proportions of this temple are almost perfect.

3.

exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose: a perfect actor to play Mr. Micawber; a perfect saw for cutting out keyholes.

4.     entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings: a perfect apple; the perfect crime.

5.

accurate, exact, or correct in every detail: a perfect copy.

Now, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be perfect.  I rather like my flaws and my mistakes.  They help me to grow and learn and be better than I was the day before.  

After all, no matter how hard we try or how much we want to be, nobody's perfect.  Not even a teacher.  


Listen to "Nobody's Perfect"