Being a Resourceful Educator
Edited from https://youtu.be/vUZ8LRkTH4I
Last month, Code.org posted a blog about how self-identified “resourceful” teachers saw an increase in overall math, science, and English test scores after introducing their classes to computer science.
This is exciting in and of itself, but it becomes downright thrilling when an educator feels like they fall into the “resourceful” category. My goal is to help every teacher who reads this article leave with the ability to count themselves among the members of that club.
Now, before we get started, I want to be clear that I don’t have a degree in psychology. In fact, I’m not certified in anything that automatically makes me an expert in resourcefulness. What I do have, is a tenacious desire to get my way, and I figure that’s gotta count for something.
What Does it Mean to be Resourceful?
To clear up any misconceptions about what resourcefulness is, I scoured the internets for definitions and use cases. The best description that I can give you is that resourcefulness is the ability to call upon multiple resources (internal and external) to solve problems. Basically, instead of giving up when you encounter an obstacle, if you keep looking for a way around — and eventually find one — then you’re probably a pretty resourceful person.
Believe in Your Resourcefulness
If you don’t think of yourself as resourceful, then it will be hard to be so when it’s most necessary. You don’t have to fight every decision or invent creative things every time you’re inconvenienced in order to be resourceful. Just think of yourself as someone who doesn’t give up when times get tough and resourcefulness will fall out of that.
As you dig-in and begin to look for other options, start by acknowledging even the “outside of the box” ideas that feel like they might not work. Instead of instantly dismissing the strange thoughts, follow them down your brain path. Where do you see them go wrong? How can you keep that from happening? It’s a very similar process to debugging. Practicing one will very likely help you with the other.
Look for a Workaround
Is there another way? This is one of my favorite questions (that and “Why not both?”) When you assume that there’s only one way to get what you want, it feels very natural to give up if it doesn’t work out. The truth is though, there’s almost always another way. Invest some time into looking for it. Sure, it might turn out that the other way isn’t any better than the first, but if you practice this often enough, you’ll start to find workarounds that are even better than your original plan.
Banish Self Doubt
A lot of the reason that we might not see ourselves as resourceful has to do with our own opinion of ourselves and our experience getting what we want. If we believe that we’re very unlikely to get our way, then it will feel “expected” when that comes to pass. Instead, believe that you deserve to spend the time that you want to spend on your lessons. Believe that your class deserves the opportunity to be as prepared for the future as they can be, and a fighting spirit will rise from that.
Fighting negative thoughts is extremely difficult and you don’t have to see a 180º turnaround immediately. Start by deciding that you are going to be more resourceful, then find one thing a week that you can fight for with a little more determination. Consciously make the choice to look for multiple ways around a situation, whether big or small. After a few successes, this way of thinking will start to feel more achievable.
Be Proactive
When you can see an obstacle coming, you have more time to get around it! Preventing obstacles altogether will not promote strength or intelligence. Overcoming obstacles will. Take the time to look for potential issues and have solutions at the ready in case something arises, but don’t turn around just because you sense a bumpy path.
Don’t forget, teaching and learning look a lot alike. In both cases, you’re going to have to be persistent, solve problems, and make predictions based on what you can see coming. Both take a HUGE amount of resourcefulness. Fortunately for all of us, with a little practice, we can all be resourceful educators!
Inspired by a blog by Code.org:
http://bit.ly/2IdLYtC
6 Characteristics of Resourceful People:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/272171
How to Promote Resourcefulness in Yourself and Others:
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/how-to-promote-resourcefulness-in-yourself-and-others.html
My video on Getting Started with CS in Elementary:
https://youtu.be/gjpbCy9hSes
Image of girl at fountain thanks to Pawel Loj:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/limaoscarjuliet/3536177919
