Letting go of perfection in teaching
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that there is never enough time to do everything that you want when you work in a school.
Often, this means that you can struggle to invest the time and energy into the things that you want to do in your job, whether that is focussing on the teaching and learning in your school or actually writing and initiating your school improvement plan.
A further reflection on teaching may suggest that the sector also attracts a particular kind of person:
The Perfectionist.
Of course, this is not a sweeping generalisation. There are many educators who are capable - and comfortable - with doing a task to a good enough standard. What with the lack of time and the extraordinary length of to-do lists, these individuals may well leave school at the end of the day pleased with what they have given to their role.
“Perfectionism suggests drive and determination. It also eludes to dissatisfaction and not feeling good enough.”
The Perfectionist, on the other hand, looks on with frustration.
Firstly, they’ve not had the time or capacity to do their work to the level that they are satisfied with, namely perfectly.
Secondly, their level of satisfaction with a job well done is always unattainable.
On the surface, perfectionism is an honourable quality. It suggests drive, determination, a view of not being satisfied with “good enough” but rather expecting more of oneself.
It adheres to that often quoted mantra in education, “To go above and beyond”.
On the other hand, it can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, not feeling good enough, and even imposter syndrome lurking in the darkest corners of your classroom or school office.
Furthermore, perfectionism can lead to a reluctance to try new things or push onwards for professional or career development. It can lead to a difficulty in receiving feedback, focussing solely on the negatives and not admiring what has done well. It can lead to a lack of self-confidence.
Now, the aim of this blog is not to shun and admonish the Perfectionist. In some areas of my life, I am still a Perfectionist, no matter how much I encourage my clients to let go of this habit for themselves.
Instead, it is a celebration of how perfectionism can become looser, softer and more pliable. You get to keep the positive traits - the high standards, the caring about making a positive difference to pupils’ lives, the deep engagement with your work - but also achieve the positives of a job simply “well done”.
One school leader I supervised described their frustration at only having enough time to give tasks the “mince and mash” approach.
For them, mince and mash was a good enough meal. It fed you and did the job. Yet, it wasn’t like a proper meal, one where care and consideration had been taken to plan and cook the meal. This would be something more elaborate, where the table is set properly with the fancy cutlery and glassware.
“They arrived excitedly, telling me all about how they had been throwing mince and mash about...”
They had been trying to do a “proper meal” for all of their tasks at work. This led to overworking, exhaustion and them simply not getting through enough of their to-do list.
Instead, I asked, “What would it be like to have mince and mash tasks and proper meal tasks?
The next session, they arrived excitedly, telling me all about how they had been throwing mince and mash about and were then choosing their proper meal task for the day too. They were getting a greater sense of job satisfaction because they had dedicated time and energy to their chosen proper meal task and they achieved more of their to-do list by mince and mashing the rest.
So, it is possible to let go of perfectionism and still hold onto a high standard.
Here’s three actions you can take to let go of your perfectionism.
1) Let in a bit of slop.
What can you let go of and do “good enough”?
Another client I worked with began creating “slop” tasks. These were tasks where they did what needed to be done to a good enough standard and then moved on. They didn’t dwell on the minutiae and they didn’t cut corners. Instead, they did enough.
What they observed was that no one else really noticed that they had put less input into the tasks. Where further work was required, they gave more time and energy to the task. Simple as that.
So, where could you let in a bit of slop? What can you get away with?
2) Pick something that you would like to do “properly”.
What are you passionate about?
Within your work, there will always be tasks that energise you and put you in “flow”
Likewise, there will be tasks that you always leave to the bottom of your list and which suck the life out of you.
Why give these soul-sucking tasks all of your time and energy?
Instead, each day, week, or term allocate some time and energy to a proper meal task. This will be an area of your work that you are truly passionate about, whether it is SEND, Teaching and Learning or something else. Something that links you back to your joy and purpose in teaching.
Protect and give this project your all. You’ll finish with satisfaction and a sense of having made a positive difference.
Everything else can be slop 😉
3) Pause and reflect
Once you have experimented with your slop and proper meals, take a few minutes to reflect on what, if anything has shifted.
What happened?
What did you notice?
What difference did it make?
What was the impact?
For you?
For your family?
For your pupils?
For your school?
Based on your reflections, refine, rinse and repeat the process.
We all want to give our best when we are teaching. The majority of educators go into their work with a passion for young people and a will to make their lives and future even better. Yet, you can also become bogged down with the daily grind and that feeling of never quite getting everything done to the standard that you’d like.
Instead, face the reality.
There is too much to do and there is not enough time for it all to be done.
Give yourself a break, let in a bit of slop and do your job well enough.
Because that is good enough.