Trying something for the first time

Over the summer, I had the chance to see Darius Rucker (and a few other country artists) in concert and one particular song lyric stuck with me. The song lyric goes "When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

Learning a new skill or idea always starts with doing something for the first time. This happens frequently in my classroom when I introduce a new concepts to the class. Students try things for the first time almost on a daily basis in the classroom when they are in school.

However, it can be challenging to try something new. Doing the same thing is comforting. The fear with trying something for the first time is that I might not be good at it or I might fail at it. People often resist change which can be thought of as trying something for the first time. What if its challenging to do? What if it takes a long time to master? What if everyone else is better than I am? What if?????

Yet as a teacher, when was the last time I put myself in their shoes and did something for the first time?

I kept that in the back of my mind for the rest of the summer. As a self-proclaimed life long learner, it was important to keep trying things for the first time.

So this summer, I had the chance to try SUP yoga for the first time.

I also had the chance to run a trail race for the first time (I've actually run 3 so far this summer).

In both activities, there was some anxiety of not knowing what to expect. But with support from the yoga instructor and friends, both events were enjoyable and I would do both again. This support system made the activities successful to me - and success was defined by me. I deemed myself successful in SUP yoga by finally standing on the board at the end of the lesson and not falling in. I deemed success in the trail run with not winning the race but simply completing it and still smiling.

As the summer holidays wrap up and I prepare to return to the classroom, I am making it a goal for the year to keep trying things for the first time. Be it trying a new activity in my classroom or trying a new assessment tool or trying a new sport, I want to make sure that I keep in mind what it is to be a student of life and keep learning! I want to remember that success, however the individual defines it, seems to always be attainable with a good support team.

So when was the last time you tried something for the first time?