This saying takes the phrase “anything worth doing is worth doing well” and strips it of its perfectionist undertones. Realistically, it is not possible to do everything perfectly. Holding ourselves to this standard will only lead to disappointment, burnout, and negative self talk. For many people the original phrase offers a sense of motivation to always try your best but I strongly believe that everyone is always doing their best with what they have available at that moment. Our best might look different from day to day and the reframing of this outdated phrase has given me more motivation than the original ever could. Now I enter a task knowing that I might not do it perfectly but at least I’m doing it.
https://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/02/3-writing-rules-i-break/broken-pencil/
A perfectionist mindset can prohibit learning in the classroom; when we’re afraid of making mistakes we are reluctant to try new things.
When i make a mistake in the classroom I will often draw attention to it in a positive way to model how mistakes can be a good thing. I also find this opens dialogue for the students to feel comfortable talking with me about their failures. For me, showing my human side is an integral part of teaching.