Why Are We Afraid to be Vulnerable?
I haven't been sure how to ask this question for a long time. It's a question that has plagued me in the classroom, and on my commute home, I would wonder if I was wrong to be genuine with my students or if I should have been more honest with them. I was never sure how to deal with the question of how much I could reveal to my students, or how much I could help them based on my own personal experience. To be honest, I'm still not sure! But in my teaching experience and in conversation with my fellow teachers and peers, a constant question has run through my mind: Why are we afraid of being vulnerable with our students? I am incredibly open with my peers about my various mental health issues, and I do so with the mentality that perhaps my story will help someone. Of course, I don't open with, "Hi, I'm Michiah, I have clinical anxiety, nice to meet you!" But at the same time, if one of my peers wants to know how they can cope with having a panic attack, ...