The Hard Way Is the Way

Growth often asks us to choose the path that develops us, not the one that feels most comfortable.

When I was in graduate school, some students gravitated toward classes they already excelled in, labeling them as “too easy.” It’s easy to choose the familiar route: the class you’re confident you’ll ace, the subject you’ve already mastered. But here’s the thing: when you have the privilege of education, especially in an elite institution, why would you not take courses that truly challenge you? The ones that stretch your thinking, spark your curiosity, and push you beyond what you thought you were capable of?

I remember sitting next to a classmate as we discussed our courses. She mentioned that all of her classes were too easy. I quietly stared at her because that wasn’t my experience. Instead, I followed my curiosity. I intentionally enrolled in courses I knew would challenge me, despite having little background beyond the prerequisite coursework. 

I wanted that challenge. I wanted to grow. And by choosing the harder courses, I proved to myself that growth often lies just beyond fear.

The same lesson applies to teacher education. Aspiring educators are often presented with safe, traditional pathways: teaching strategies that are widely accepted, curricula that follow familiar scripts, or methods that prioritize compliance over creativity. However true growth as a teacher happens when you take risks, experimenting with new approaches, designing lessons that stretch students’ thinking, or stepping into unfamiliar classroom contexts. Choosing the “hard way” isn’t about recklessness; it’s about cultivating skill, resilience, and confidence.

The same principle applies to career development. It’s easy to follow the tried-and-true route: the path that others recognize, the one with accolades, stability, and minimal friction. But settling for the comfortable path limits potential. Teachers, like all professionals, are fully capable of doing hard things, navigating challenging classrooms, advocating for students, or innovating within rigid systems. Growth, mastery, and impact are rarely achieved by playing it safe.

Thus I ask: What are you afraid of? Why limit yourself to what you already know?

In teacher education, taking the hard path models something vital for students. It shows that challenge is not failure, it’s growth. It demonstrates that learning and courage go hand in hand. By embracing difficulty ourselves, we signal to future educators and to the students they will serve, that the most meaningful work requires risk, curiosity, and persistence.

I’m not willing to settle for easy, not because difficulty is inherently virtuous, but because the hard path is often the one that expands who we become. Every meaningful transformation I’ve experienced began with a decision to choose discomfort over certainty. As educators, if we hope to cultivate courage in our students, we have to practice it ourselves.

MDE

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