When a strong focus is taken on promoting student independence, one can set the bar so high that they mistake independence for perfection. Having unrealistic goals can inhibit growth from the compounded frustration of both teacher and student. People who are perfect have complete and full knowledge of the world, they never make a mistake, and they never need to ask for help. You are not perfect, you never will be, and neither will your students.
What we must strive for is independence. Independence means maximizing one’s capacity to navigate oneself through life’s events with no more support than what most individuals typically require. People who are independent still use Google Maps, Turbo Tax, and spell check. People who are independent still need to stop and ask for directions
or seek out advice in life. Independence is not about perfection, it is about navigation. For our learners we must empower them to do as much as possible on their own while simultaneously showing them how to seek out or access supports to help compensate for their inabilities. Without such empowerment, without the knowledge of navigation, when they are left to venture out into the world they may very easily become lost.