"The Power of Failure"

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."- Michael Jordan

Had to repost this quote from my fb page! It really should be read by every child, every student, every adult. I would often give my college students "motivational" tidbits to encourage them to persevere in reaching their goals, but this quote really gives me "goosebumps." 

Michael Jordan, and every other success story who climbed to the top of their game, ALL talk about the MANY failures they had before that point. I try to stress to my students that people aren't usually "lucky;" that it takes unending perseverance-- but we forget that that also means continued FAILURE before we get to the SUCCESSES in life! How many times have I been rejected at interviews before landing my "dream jobs" and beating out other applicants? Plenty.

When I was hired at School of the Arts, in Rochester, NY, I was told there were hundreds of Special Ed applicants for only a few positions. I wasn't the most experienced. I didn't have any special "connections." They must've seen in me a confidence and passion for teaching. They must've trusted my abilities in reaching their inner-city special needs population, based on the few years of experience I had at that point. I believe my previous rejections were supposed to happen in order for me to reach my "Dream Job" as a Special Educator and Dance Teacher all at the same school. The "We're sorry to inform you..." letters, as painful as they are at the time, and as much tears as they produce, give us further resolve to improve on what we need to in order to manage better in the next interview or improve our skills for the next position. I'll never forget sitting down in a room with 17, yes, 17 interviewers all in a circle as I was escorted to my seat and told, "There are a lot of people here, but don't get nervous." "Don't get nervous???" Deep breaths!!! After all, everyone and their grandmother was applying for a position at the "new school" in the city-- well, everyone who thought they could handle inner-city teaching-- and that amounted to close to 200 applicants for a handful of Special Ed positions. One by one, the Committee of highly-esteemed and well-respected City School District employees, including the Principal, Vice-Principal, House Principals, Special Ed Coordinator, Special Ed Teachers, Regular Ed Teachers from the Middle School and High School, Chairs of Math, English, History, Parent Representative, and Student Representative asked me the slew of questions (which I had been handed 5 minutes prior.) One by one, I took a few seconds to formulate an intelligent answer and then deliver it to the crowd of 17 pairs of eyes staring back at me and looking down to write notes now and then.  It was, by far, my most stressful, anxiety-producing interview I have ever had-- even more than my interview years later for a College Instructor position.

Here's my point, which I'm constantly drilling into the heads of my students: If I gave up after those rejections, and told myself that "I'm not good enough" I would never have had the courage to even try for my "dream job" at a school where thousands wanted to teach. When I was hired by School of the Arts, I still had a few months left in the school year at the other inner-city school where I was teaching at the time. I will never forget one day when a colleague of mine approached me and asked in a hushed voice, "Who did you know and what did you do to get into that school??" I laughed and said, "No one and nothing!" He said, "Do you realize any teacher would give their left arm to teach there??" I said, "I do now-- thanks!"

KEEP PUSHING FORWARD--- NO MATTER WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE, OR WHAT YOUR DREAMS ARE--- REJOICE IN THOSE FAILURES, AND KNOW THAT IT'S ALL FOR A BETTER REASON!!!