This short chapter is a guest piece by Leann Schumacher, a teacher who wrote it in her first year in the classroom, and it belongs right after the self-care chapter. If you are a student teacher or a new teacher who keeps measuring yourself against the veterans down the hall, read this one twice. Leann also wrote about what got her through the edTPA.
This is Chapter 7 of 51 from Road to Teaching (2025 edition). Read the whole book free, in order, at Read the Book.
By Leann Schumacher. Introduced by Dr. Eric Hougan.
Throughout my entire first year of teaching, I often found myself struggling with perfectionism. It was a pervasive feeling that crept up every time I would leave my classroom and quickly became a familiar form of torture. My walk through the hallways always involved peering into others classrooms and thinking, “I wish I could get my reading corner that tidy!” or “Where does he find the time to keep everything that organized?” or “Wow, she is such a better teacher than I am.” By the time I had made it back to my messy, disorganized classroom, I would feel utterly deflated.
Sadly, as a novice teacher, my story is not unique. New teachers often feel an insurmountable amount of pressure their first year to prove themselves to their colleagues, students, and administrators. When we inevitably start drowning in the classroom management, the curriculum, the emails, we look to more experienced teachers to “save us.” We see the seemingly amazing job they are doing and try to emulate them, thinking our shortcomings will be solved if we do. However, time and time again we still fall short. These experienced teachers are like icebergs: All we notice is the beautifully crafted slice of perfection. Below the surface, in the dark parts we can’t see, was that educators’ long, arduous journey to get to that point: all of their failures, the trial-and-error efforts, and the hardships they had to face that contribute to where they are now today.
So, those feelings of inadequacy, that feeling that you are doing it all wrong—it’s all part of the process. Teaching is messy, and whether you are two months or twenty years in, it’s never going to be perfect—ever. Embrace your imperfections because they are what make you a unique and invaluable educator.
Accept that feeling overwhelmed and making mistakes are natural parts of becoming an excellent teacher. Focus on your own growth rather than comparing yourself to experienced educators, and remember that your unique perspective and journey contribute valuable qualities to your teaching practice.
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