Embracing the Gifts of Imperfection

In 2010, researcher and author Brené Brown published “The Gifts of Imperfection,” a book that explores how to live more authentically and take meaningful risks to create a fuller life. Ideas such as “authenticity is a choice that requires courage, compassion, and connection” and “fear of shame hides behind perfectionism” are paired with teachings of purpose, gratitude, creativity, and acceptance. These concepts invite us to rediscover ourselves with greater vulnerability and humanity.

I have frequently thought about these gifts during the last six months. Today’s students face immense pressure to take the hardest classes, earn perfect grades, and participate in every activity to impress college admissions committees. While we celebrate what students achieve with the help of talented teachers, it’s important to remember that life’s most profound learning experiences often come from taking risks and making mistakes which lead us to greater wisdom and authenticity, even when they require us to adjust our immediate goals as students, teachers, parents, and institutions.

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving of this year, I was working in the garage, storing things in the attic when my ladder slipped, resulting in a 4-foot fall onto the cement floor. As a result, I broke my ankle and will spend the next three months in a cast, unable to put any weight on my right foot. Life changed for the short term because of a careless mistake, and while I haven’t fully grasped all of the lessons I’m hoping to learn, I’m grateful for the opportunity to try.

In our family, we often challenge each other to make a certain number of mistakes each day to embrace real learning. Though I recently discovered a glaring new imperfection (ladder balancing), I also experienced the kindness of others. Through rides home, wheelchair pushes, Zoom meetings, and offers to cover the more ambulatory aspects of my job, I quickly learned how wonderful it is to be part of a community like the one we have at Seven Hills.

As with any organization, there are ways in which we can progress and improve, yet the combination of amazing teachers, dedicated students, and a healthy culture creates a place where we can all continue our life-long learning journey. Disappointments and setbacks are part of the process of building resiliency. At times we don’t do as well on tests or assignments as we wish. Perfect grades may be out of reach, even with our best efforts. Sometimes we don’t make the varsity team or receive the dream role in the play. We might not get the exact combination of desired classes or specific teachers. However, for those willing to accept imperfection, each of these setbacks can become strengths, especially when we engage together as a community.

Our teachers, learning support specialists, support staff, and other experts all chose to work at a place like Seven Hills because of our students. The highlight of our days is found in the meaningful 1:1 interactions we have with our students as we support their struggling and help them discover the next logical steps. We’re almost done with our first semester of the school year, and I encourage students and parents alike to continue to embrace new ideas, take meaningful risks, and reach out as much as possible to the peers, teachers, and specialists at the school to take full advantage of the many resources available. While we may not be perfect, we are willing to improve ourselves to better serve our students in their journeys.

Author Seth Godin captures some of these thoughts: 

“In my experience, there are two uncomfortable pedagogical methods that lead to better learning outcomes:

• Doing it poorly on the way to doing it better. 
• Engaging with others in mutual support and exploration.”

All of us will continue to do things poorly on the way to doing life better. Let’s continue to support each other with mutual support and exploration as we turn those mistakes into growth outcomes. Perhaps the beauty of individual imperfections is that we can work together to attain meaningful, life-long growth. But do make sure you use a ladder buddy!