Giving Yourself Grace as a Teacher: Learning From the Lessons That Go Wrong

Some of the most important things I’ve learned as a teacher didn’t come from professional development, college classes, or perfectly planned lessons.

They came from mistakes.

They came from lessons that completely fell apart.
From days when nothing worked.
From moments when I walked out of my classroom, replaying everything I wish I had done differently.

And when life outside of school is heavy — when home doesn’t feel peaceful, and grief is part of your daily reality — those moments feel even bigger.

Losing my mom in September changed my life. It changed how much I can carry, how I show up, and how I give myself grace. And it’s reminded me that mistakes aren’t failures — they’re teachers, too.

Mistakes Don’t Mean You’re a Bad Teacher

Every teacher messes up.
Every teacher has lessons that flop.
Every teacher has moments they wish they could redo.

What matters isn’t the mistake — it’s what you learn from it.

Some lessons don’t land because:

The timing was off
The kids weren’t ready
The directions weren’t clear
You were exhausted or distracted

That doesn’t make you ineffective. It makes you reflective — and reflection is where growth happens.

Learning to Adjust Instead of Beating Myself Up

I used to take every mistake personally. If a lesson didn’t work, I felt like I didn’t work.

Now, I try to ask myself:

What can I tweak next time?
What did the kids show me they needed instead?
What actually worked, even in the mess?

Learning to adjust — instead of obsess — has been one of the most freeing parts of teaching.

Life Changes How You Teach (And That’s Not a Bad Thing)

Grief has taught me to slow down. It’s taught me to listen more closely — to myself and to my students.

Some days, my lesson plans change because I need more grace. Other days, they change because the kids do.

Those pivots aren’t mistakes. They are responses. And often, they lead to the most meaningful moments of learning.

The Best Teaching Moments Happen on the Fly

Some of the most impactful lessons I’ve taught weren’t planned at all.

They happened when:

A student asked an unexpected question
A conversation mattered more than the objective
We stopped and talked about feelings
I admitted, “That didn’t work — let’s try again.”

In those moments, students learn something powerful: learning is a process, and it’s okay to make mistakes.

Finding Joy While Learning Through the Hard Stuff

On days when everything feels heavy, I look for small reminders that I’m still moving forward.

A sunset after a long day.
My kid laughs.
My dog’s unconditional excitement.
A student’s smile.

These moments don’t erase the hard days — but they remind me why I keep learning, growing, and showing up.

A Reminder for Teachers Who Are Still Learning

If you made a mistake today, it doesn’t define you.
If a lesson went wrong, it wasn’t wasted.
If you’re still learning, you’re doing it right.

Teaching isn’t about getting it perfect — it’s about being willing to learn, adjust, and grow.

Give yourself grace.
Learn from the mistakes.
And trust that even on the messy days, you’re becoming a better teacher than you were yesterday.