When Sharing Feels Like Showing Off: The Unspoken Tension Among Teachers

A group of brown-skinned teachers talking

 During a recent conversation with a teacher... the same brilliant mind behind The Daily Takeaway, she said something that stopped me mid-sentence.

“Whenever I try to teach my colleagues something new, especially when I notice them doing things the wrong way, they think I’m overdoing it...like I’m trying to make them feel less.”


That quiet frustration? It echoes in many staffrooms.

You want to help. You want to share. You care enough to say, “There’s a better way.”

But somehow, your intention is mistaken for pride.



It’s Not About Pride....It’s About Perception

The truth is: teachers are natural givers, but we’re also protectors of our space.

We spend our days leading, correcting, and guiding others. So when someone turns that mirror on us, even gently, it can feel uncomfortable.

In many schools, the culture of peer learning isn’t always fully grown.

We’re trained to teach, not necessarily to learn from one another.

So when a colleague offers an idea, it can feel less like support and more like a spotlight on what we didn’t do right.

That’s not ego... that’s human!

And yet, this quiet misunderstanding keeps so many good ideas locked in isolation instead of shared growth.




The Art of Sharing Without Showing

People rarely resist new ideas, they resist how those ideas are delivered.

Dear passionate educators, you can keep sharing without triggering defensiveness:


🔶 Replace Correction with Curiosity

Instead of,

“That’s not the best way,”

try,

 “Hey, I tried something recently that made things easier, do you want to see if it might work for you too?”


 This small shift changes the energy from critique to collaboration.


🔶 Share Stories, Not Steps

Instead of instructing, narrate.

Tell them what you tried, how it felt, and what changed.

Stories invite empathy, and empathy invites listening.


🔶 Celebrate Their Wins Out Loud

When your colleagues feel seen for what they do well, they become more open to what you bring.

Affirmation builds bridges faster than instruction.


🔶 Choose Your Timing Wisely

Sometimes the right idea shared at the wrong moment still falls flat.

Wait for quieter moments: during reflection sessions, tea breaks, or one-on-one chats.

Influence thrives in calm, not confrontation.




From Colleagues to Co-Learners

Being a teacher among teachers can be tricky. You walk a fine line between passion and pride, between helping and being misunderstood.

But when you lead with curiosity, humility, and respect, something beautiful happens : your colleagues stop seeing you as “the one who knows it all” and start seeing you as the one who helps us all grow.

Because leadership in education isn’t about knowing more.

It’s about sharing better.





☘️


Dear Educators,

-Who in your school might be waiting to learn from you ...but just needs a softer invitation?

-And whose ideas might you have overlooked because you mistook their enthusiasm for ego?

Sometimes, the growth we seek in our schools doesn’t come from new policies or programs.

It comes from the courage to keep sharing ... with gentleness, grace, and the deep knowing that we’re all still learning.







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