It Really Is…All About the Process

We’ve heard professionals at the pinnacles of their careers talking about it for years: the Process. LeBron James recently discussed this on his Mind the Game Podcast with Steve Nash. In this episode, he talked about how players who have had a career year and may have won an MVP or Championship STILL have so much more room to improve and that the greatest players fall in love with the process of becoming great more than the achievements of greatness. It’s what has allowed him to have a 22 year career and has made him one of the best NBA players of all time (I’m still taking Jordan every time but that’s a different blog post!).

So what does this look like from a Physical Education Teacher’s standpoint? For me, I’ve adopted the DMGB mindset from Brian Kight. That mindset is simple, Doesn’t Matter, Get Better. My lesson bombed while being evaluated? Doesn’t matter, get better. In December, I became a National Board Certified Teacher! Doesn’t matter, get better. Everything in between? You guessed it, doesn’t matter, get better! That is not to say that those ups and downs are not important, as they are a vital part of growth as an educator. It is simply a reminder that, what happens has happened and the only thing we can do moving forward is figure out how to be a better teacher for our students.

I remember watching the SHAPE America National Teacher of the Year awards ceremony in Cleveland last year where Cindie Cortinas-Vogt was named the Elementary TOY as well as Brad Hunter being named this year’s National Adapted TOY in Baltimore and thinking how amazing that must be to be on that stage. I reached out to both of them and found it interesting that neither of them seemed to have been actively working towards winning that award. Instead, they were focused on being the best versions of themselves and reflecting on how they can evolve as educators to better serve their students. Even after winning those awards, their approaches to teaching haven’t changed simply because they won an award, and THAT is what makes them as great as they are. And even if they hadn’t been named their respective Teacher of the Year…they’d still be approaching their practice in the same manner, constantly reflecting on how they can improve as a teacher. The recognitions that we receive are simply a byproduct of all the work that we have put in throughout our careers. Embrace the tough times and stay grounded during the highlights, always striving for gradual improvement.

Mark Housel wrote in his book What Kind of Teacher Do You Want to Be? about a retiree who said they didn’t have a 25 year career, but rather a 1 year career…25 times! What a beautiful way to approach life as a teacher. If nothing changes, then nothing changes. Whether you are a beginning teacher, or a National TOY…DMGB!!!

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Pair this blog post with the following:

Why Become National Certified in Health Education? by Christine Murray and Joanna Wolk

The Basics by Donn Tobin

My Lesson Has Crashed and Burned by LaDonda Porter

What Is The Most Fun Thing You’ve Ever Done? by Mark Housel