top of page
Search

Education as Becoming: A Different Kind of Success

  • Catherine Addor
  • Sep 26
  • 2 min read

ree

Fundamental Friday: Becomes, Not Outcomes


In education, we often hear the term' outcomes.' Test scores. Graduation rates. College acceptance letters. These markers matter, but they do not capture the essence of teaching and learning. Outcomes suggest a finish line, a point at which growth stops and success is declared. Our students are not widgets rolling off an assembly line, identical and ready for quality control.


Students are human beings. And human beings are never finished products. They are in a constant act of becoming.


Why Outcomes Alone Are Not Enough

When schools and systems focus only on outcomes, several dangers emerge:


  1. Reduction of humanity: Children become data points instead of individuals with stories, strengths, and struggles.

  2. Pressure on teachers: Educators feel forced to perform rather than to nurture.

  3. Narrow definitions of success: Skills like empathy, resilience, and creativity are undervalued because they don’t show up neatly in spreadsheets.


This way of thinking misses the essence of education: growth, curiosity, and transformation.


The Power of Becoming

“Becomes” shifts our lens. It recognizes that education is about who students are becoming, not just what they produce. Every day in a classroom, students are:


  • Developing their identities as thinkers, creators, and citizens.

  • Learning persistence when things don’t come easily.

  • Building empathy through collaboration.

  • Practicing agency in the choices they make.


When we focus on becoming, we create a culture where mistakes are part of the process, reflection matters, and growth is celebrated alongside achievement.


Reflection Questions for Educators

As educators, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of outcomes such as grades, assessments, and data points. If we are serious about teaching for becoming, we need to pause and look inward, too. Reflection enables us to verify whether our practices align with our purpose. The questions below are designed to spark honest thinking about how we view our students and ourselves, not as finished products, but as works in progress.


  • Do my lessons focus on content, or do they also focus on who my students are becoming?

  • When I give feedback, am I measuring only the final product, or am I honoring the process of growth?

  • How do I acknowledge resilience, curiosity, or creativity as much as I acknowledge correct answers?

  • In what ways am I modeling my own act of becoming as an educator?


Actionable Next Steps

Here are three simple practices to begin shifting from outcomes to becomes:


Celebrate Process, Not Just Product

Incorporate reflection journals, process check-ins, or peer feedback that value learning along the way.


Redefine Success Broadly

Post classroom norms that include character skills (empathy, persistence, and curiosity) and recognize them when they are demonstrated.


Model Becoming as a Lifelong Journey

Share your own moments of learning, unlearning, or growth with students. Show them that becoming never stops, even for adults.


Students are not products. They are possibilities in motion. Education is not about rushing them to a finish line; it’s about walking alongside them as they become. If we teach with that lens, we shape futures, not just report cards.




Comments

bottom of page