Today, we’re unpacking how perfectionism shows up in our work, what it costs us, and how to aim for purposeful progress instead of polished perfection. Because your students don’t need perfect—they need present.
Topics Discussed
How Perfectionism Shows Up in Teaching (and Why It’s a Problem)
Why Middle School Teachers Are Especially Prone to Perfectionism
Practical Mindset Shifts and Strategies to Let Go of Perfectionism
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If you’ve hit a hiccup this Back to School, I have the resources to get you back on track. From labels for all your teacher drawers, to relationship building cards, to a review of rules and the why behind them, or maybe just a pair and share tool to get you going faster each day. Check out my Back to School category on The Colorado Classroom at TPT to help you get on your way.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-colorado-classroom/category-back-to-school-1441616
Transcripts
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[00:00:27] Ellie: Hello.
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[00:00:49] Ellie: my hand was up. Middle school teachers are among the hardest working and most creative educators, but we also carry a significant amount of pressure to get everything right. Whether it's classroom management, bulletin boards, emails, or every single worksheet, many of us hold ourselves to wild standards.
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[00:01:28] Ellie: Let's be honest. Perfectionism in teaching doesn't always look like perfection. Sometimes it looks like procrastination, burnout, or even imposter syndrome. It can look like spending hours on the perfect lesson plan, even when a solid one would do just fine. Or obsessing over student outcomes and internalizing every behavior or test score.
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[00:02:14] It could be hemming and hawing over the perfect report card or writing assessment comment, or not completing things because you're worried they won't be good enough.
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[00:02:42] Ellie: Hmm.
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[00:03:01] Ellie: Absolutely. And the stakes feel high. We're teaching kids at a critical turning point academically and emotionally, so of course we wanna get it right. You know, and add to that high visibility like admins are walking through, parent emails, and students all giving us real time and potentially unfiltered feedback.
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[00:03:41] Brittany: But perfection isn't sustainable. What's sustainable is knowing your purpose and choosing to prioritize the things that actually move the needle for your students and yourself.
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[00:04:21] You can set time limits for planning or grading sessions and stick to them. Good enough, really is good enough. Don't spend an hour trying to think about that comment. Do a comment quickly, get it done. Give yourself a time limit. Keep a successes folder, emails, notes, or wins to remind yourself that impact is more important than aesthetics.
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[00:05:06] This is version one. We'll improve it together. You can also set boundaries around what matters. Pick just one to two things each week to really focus on. Let the rest be B minus or B level, or even C level work. I heard a podcast once that talked about like b minus work. You know, it was hard for me to think about doing B minus work instead of a work.
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[00:05:50] Accept that rest is productive, show up, well rested and present instead of perfect and depleted.
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[00:06:15] Ellie: I do have to say that when it comes to anchor charts, I was definitely not perfect. I'd never look like Pinterest ones. But perfection is not the standard. Connection is . Purpose is. Consistency is. That's what middle schoolers will remember.
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[00:07:03] we covered, anything that was perfect or imperfect or, um, only one brought up a simulation that we did in a class. But instead we talked about the friendships they had, the fun things we did in the classroom, how much they enjoyed sixth grade, and how much fun they had, and how safe they felt in my room.
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[00:07:35] Ellie: That's wonderful. That must have been so special.
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[00:07:39] Ellie: Yeah. Aw, that's awesome. So letting go of perfection doesn't mean letting go of excellence. It just means recognizing that excellence does not require burnout, comparison, or control.
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[00:08:05] Ellie: So tell us, what's one thing you're giving yourself permission to do imperfectly this week? Or what's one mindset shift you're working on?
