It is true that committing mistakes and learning from them are a benchmark of success. After all, to err is human. But not every mistake is worth your time, especially when you are a teacher (whose primary job is to correct the mistakes of others).

upEducators has trained and helped thousands of teachers in upskilling and learning digital skills. After observing and talking to hundreds of such teachers, our team found out the most common mistakes that teachers make in their careers that can hamper their growth. Here are some of the most common mistakes that teachers make and that you can avoid as a teacher for a more rapid career growth.

Not going out of the comfort zone

As a teacher, it is important to continuously grow and develop your skills. This can only be done by stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. If you always stick to what you know and are comfortable with, you will never grow as a teacher. You will become stagnant and your students will become bored. Trying new things will not only help you grow as a teacher, but it will also keep your students engaged and excited about learning. So don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new – it just might be the best thing you ever do as a teacher!

Ms. Ishwarya’s journey from a preschool teacher to a coding teacher was possible because she was ready to leave her comfort zone. Had she stayed where she was, she couldn’t have started a more successful and fruitful career as a Coding Teacher. Click here to read her full story.

Not Upskilling

As a teacher, it is important to continuously upskill yourself in order to maintain a good level of teaching. Not upskilling as a teacher hampers your growth as a teacher and may lead to you being left behind by your peers. It is therefore important to make sure that you are always upskilling and keeping up to date with the latest teaching methods.

Two Maths teachers teaching grade 9-10 had different career growth. One of them believed in upskilling constantly to stay updated with the latest trends in education but the other was reluctant to learn. Upskilling helped the former teacher in landing a promotion and a higher pay.

Not participating in professional development courses

As a teacher, you are expected to continuously grow and develop professionally. This means keeping up with the latest educational research and trends, attending professional development courses, and collaborating with your colleagues. When you fail to participate in professional development opportunities, you are essentially stunting your own growth as a teacher. Not only will you be missing out on valuable information and resources, but you will also miss out on networking and collaboration opportunities. In order to be the best teacher you can be, you need to be an active participant in your own professional development.

A private school in Delhi witnessed an exponential growth in the overall results of the school during one academic year. The growth was attributed to the constant participation of teachers in professional development courses throughout the year.

Staying in the same job that offers no growth

If you’re a teacher who’s looking to grow professionally, staying in the same job that offers no growth can be a real hindrance. Without opportunities to take on new challenges and responsibilities, you’ll likely find your professional development stagnating. In order to keep growing as a teacher, it’s important to seek out opportunities for growth within your current position or look for new positions that offer more challenges. With a little effort, you can ensure that you’re always moving forward in your career and growing as a teacher.

Ms. Ankita Sharma saw no growth in her career as an IELTS trainer. So she decided to switch and make a career as a Google Certified Educator. Leaving a stagnant job helped her in making a growth in her career. Click here to read her full story.

Not becoming tech-savvy

Many teachers who were reluctant or unable to use technology during the pandemic lost their jobs. 

In this day and age, technology is a huge part of our lives and it is only getting more and more prevalent. As a teacher, if you’re not keeping up with the latest technology and trends, you’re falling behind.

Your students are tech-savvy and they expect their teachers to be as well. If you’re not comfortable using technology in your classroom, your students will quickly lose interest. Additionally, you’ll miss out on valuable teaching tools and resources that can make your life easier and help your students learn more effectively.

Not adopting innovative practices

A teacher was apprehensive about using Google Forms to prepare a quiz for her students and instead conducted a live quiz on Zoom. To her surprise, she could not keep a record of scores and the quiz was unfruitful. 

If you’re not constantly looking for ways to improve your teaching methods, you’ll likely find yourself falling behind the times. In order to be an effective teacher, it’s important to keep up with the latest teaching practices and strategies. By failing to do so, you not only hamper your own growth as a teacher, but also put your students at a disadvantage.

Your students deserve to have a teacher who is constantly striving to improve and update their methods. If you’re not willing to do that, then you’re not giving your students the best possible education. In order to be the best teacher you can be, you need to be willing to embrace new ideas and approaches. Otherwise, you’ll only be doing yourself and your students a disservice.

Not adjusting to varying learning styles of students

Every student has a different learning and cognitive style. It is important to be able to adjust your teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles in order to be an effective teacher. If you are not able to do this, you will likely find that your students are not as successful as they could be. This can be frustrating for both you and your students, and can lead to a feeling of stagnation in your career as a teacher.

Not being a flexible educator

If you’re not flexible as a teacher, you’re not going to be able to grow as a teacher. You need to be able to adapt to the needs of your students and be willing to try new things in order to keep your students engaged. If you’re not flexible, you’re going to end up stuck in a rut and your students are going to suffer for it.

Not observing the classes of Expert teachers

If you’re not learning from experts in your profession as a teacher, you’re not growing as a teacher. By not learning from those who know more than you, you’re missing out on opportunities to improve your teaching skills. This can lead to stagnation in your career growth, and may even prevent you from reaching your full potential as a teacher.

To avoid this, it’s important to seek out opportunities to learn from experts in your field. Attend workshops and conferences, read books and articles written by experienced teachers, and take advantage of any other resources that can help you grow as a professional. By continually learning and expanding your knowledge, you can ensure that you’re always growing as a teacher, and reaching your full potential.

Not taking extra initiatives

As a teacher, it is important to always be growing and improving in your craft. This means taking extra efforts to learn new things and to keep up with the latest trends. If you don’t take these extra steps, you will quickly fall behind and your growth as a teacher will be hindered. In order to be the best teacher you can be, it is important to always be learning and growing.

Teaching is not an easy job. And a ‘101 guide to teaching mistakes to avoid’ can be very helpful for every teacher. After all, learning from other people’s experiences and mistakes can save a lot of time and energy.