Module Introduction
Humility in educators is the ability to recognize and embrace both our strengths and limitations. It involves being open to feedback and new ideas, acknowledging that learning is a lifelong process—both for ourselves and our students.
Humble educators foster a classroom environment where students feel valued and heard, encouraging collaboration and mutual respect.They approach challenges with a mindset that values growth over perfection, demonstrating that mistakes are opportunities for learning. By prioritizing the needs and perspectives of their students, humble educators cultivate a sense of community and support, helping each individual realize their potential. Ultimately, humility in education is about recognizing the intrinsic worth of every person in the classroom and promoting an atmosphere of shared learning and growth.
Spark Interest
- Intellectual Humility Quiz: Are you willing to admit that you don’t know something? Do you get defensive when someone questions your beliefs? Try out this quiz, which is drawn from three scientifically validated scales, to learn about your own intellectual humility.
Reflection
- Did your results surprise you?
- Can you identify areas in your life where you are particularly defensive – or lack humility?
Learning Objectives
In this module we will:
- Understand the definition and different types of humility
- Explore how embracing humility can support your teaching and well-being
- Investigate the various ways you can practice humility in your life, at school, and outside of work
Module Resources
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices organized by developmental level, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional learning opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topics of "Humility for Adults" and “Humility for Students.”
Individual Exploration
Humility allows people to see and accept their own strengths and limitations without defensiveness or judgment. Humble people are open to new information in a way that allows them to continue learning about themselves and the world. And they focus more on others rather than themselves, showing greater appreciation and awareness of others in their day-to-day lives. These are incredibly important qualities in a teacher. Our teaching is the most effective and most inspiring for both our students and ourselves when we are open to learn from our students as well.
What is Humility?
In this first segment, learn about humility, how it is defined by researchers, and how it relates to your teaching. [13:52]
Reflection
- What questions do you still have about humility? Are you skeptical about its benefits? Why?
- What steps do you take to ensure that every student feels valued and heard?
- Have you noticed when you struggle with humility yourself? Briefly describe those circumstances.
Why is Humility Important for Educators?
In this next video, learn what researchers have discovered about how humility can benefit educators. [12:17]
Reflection
- How has practicing humility in your personal or professional life helped you build stronger relationships and navigate conflicts more effectively?
- In what ways has embracing humility (e.g., admitting that you are wrong or made a mistake) opened up opportunities for personal growth and learning that you might have missed otherwise?
How to Cultivate Humility
In this final video, learn how educators can intentionally cultivate humility. [13:47]
Reflection
- What strategies for cultivating humility make the most sense to you?
- What barriers can you identify around feeling or expressing humility? Are there structures or systems in place (e.g., school culture, norms, and/or policies) that make it difficult for you to express humility? How might you navigate these?
Links from Videos
- Courageous Connections that Challenge Your Biases (Adult) Honestly assess your personal biases and their impact, and create a plan to face the anxieties you experience about people you dislike or avoid. Next, practice courage and openness while interacting with those individuals, and reflect on what you learned. (less than 30 minutes)
- Challenging Your Thoughts and Beliefs (Adult) Teachers use a list of questions to explore their thoughts, beliefs, and emotions about a difficult experience in order to gain a more positive perspective. (less than 15 minutes)
- Mindful Reflection Process for Developing Culturally Responsive Practices (Adult) This reflection protocol helps teachers unpack their interactions with students and prompts them to generate alternative explanations of student behaviors. (multiple sessions)
- Dimensions of Difference and Similarity Reflection (Adult) Teachers reflect on and discuss various dimensions of their identities to gain awareness of the impact of these on their relationships with students and their families. (less than 2 hours)
- Practicing Shallow vs. Deep Curiosity (Upper Elementary-College) Students learn about the differences between shallow and deep curiosity and develop questions that reflect both levels of curiosity. Students will engage in a conversational pair activity where they will practice connecting with each other as they use these two types of questions. (less than 30 minutes)
- Curiosity Quiz (Upper Elementary-Adult) Researchers suggest that humility and curiosity go hand in hand, but how curious are you, really? The quiz is largely based on the Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale as well as the Social Curiosity Scale.
- Become an Admitter (Upper Elementary-Adult) Students or staff identify and celebrate times they were mistaken (“I was wrong”)–and then focus on listening (“tell me more”) to each other without arguing as they share differing opinions. (less than 30 minutes)
- Mindful Breathing for Adults (Adult) Practice quietly and calmly redirecting your attention to your breath each time your mind wanders. (less than 15 minutes)
- Loving-Kindness for Adults (Adult) Send good wishes, warmth, and kindness to others by silently repeating key phrases. (less than 15 minutes)
- Gratitude Circle for Staff Members (Adult) Start staff meetings by giving time for staff members to say “thank you” to each other for kind and thoughtful acts over the past week. (less than 15 minutes)
- Three Good Things (Adult) A way to tune into the positive events in your life. (10 minutes)
- How to Stop Attachment Insecurity from Ruining Your Love Life (Article for Adults) Do you have commitment, trust, and attachment issues? Science helped Meghan Laslocky—and it just might help you, too.
- Mindful Self-Compassion for Adults (College-Adult) A mindfulness practice to help you experience the self-compassion that naturally exists within you, and consider the simple ways that you care for yourself each day. (less than 15 minutes)
- Give Yourself a Break (20:40) Want to calm your inner critic? Our guest tries a practice to find more self-compassion during uncertain times.
- Discovering Meaning Through Awe (Adult) Staff members write about a time they experienced awe, reflect on what this experience revealed about what is most meaningful to them, and consider ways to bring this meaning into their daily lives. (less than 1 hour)
- Stories of Moral Beauty (Adult) At the start or end of staff meetings, staff members notice and acknowledge acts of moral beauty performed by students and staff, promoting an awe-inspiring atmosphere and building a positive school culture. (less than 15 minutes)
- Personal SEL Assessment and Reflection | Greater Good In Education (Adult) School staff complete a written tool to assess and reflect on their own SEL strengths and areas for growth. (less than 30 minutes)
- Mindful Reflection Process for Developing Culturally Responsive Practices | Greater Good In Education (Adult) This reflection protocol helps teachers unpack their interactions with students and prompts them to generate alternative explanations of student behaviors. (multiple sessions)
- How to Cultivate Humble Leadership (Article for Adults) One principal shares how she transformed her school culture by recognizing her limitations—and then listening to students and staff.
Module Resources
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices organized by developmental level, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional learning opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topics of "Humility for Adults" and “Humility for Students.”
A worksheet that invites educators to reflect on their openness and humility.
Group Facilitation
Before facilitating groups, spend time in individual exploration in order to experience and embody the learning. And if you haven’t yet explored our introduction to SEL in California, make sure you explore those resources.
Module Resources
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional learning opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topics of "Humility for Adults" and “Humility for Students.”
A revisable, turnkey powerpoint slide deck to use for professional learning sessions on the topic of "Humility for Educators."
A powerpoint slide deck with welcoming and closing activities to include in professional learning sessions.
A worksheet that invites educators to reflect on their openness and humility.
“Humility, I have learned, must never be confused with meekness. Humility is being open to the ideas of others. ”
Do you want to dive deeper into the science behind our GGIE practices? Enroll in one of our online courses for educators!
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