In my first year of high school, I started to run track. I ran the mile and two mile. In my first race, I tried to go out as fast as one of the best runners in the state. I wasn’t able to match his pace very long and shortly after beginning, I dropped out of the race. I felt terrible both physically and mentally.
It was a valuable lesson and once I learned to pace myself, I was a pretty decent runner and still enjoy running to this day.
I’ve made this mistake in my teaching too. I’ve started some years too fast. I’ve started some classes too fast. I’ve started some lessons too fast. And just like after my first race, I felt terrible both physically and mentally.
For me finding my pace in running is way easier because I’m only running for myself. In teaching, I’m running races with all my students and I not only have to worry about my pace, I have to worry about theirs too. It’s a lot. Which is all the more reason to figure out my teaching pace because this race, I can’t drop out of.
In teaching it’s easy to worry about your fellow teachers. Some of them, are going to be really fast (not necessarily great, but really fast). Trying to run their race can leave you feeling terrible both physically and mentally.
It can be difficult, but it’s important to run your race.
Find your pace.
Trevor (@trevorabryan)