If you’re an educator, like me, you know that we rarely blame a student for not understanding a lesson. It happens, but it’s rare. We see ourselves as capable of teaching from multiple perspective, angles, and strategies. If a student doesn’t understand, we bear the burden of adapting our communication styles.

I have found myself living the life of an explainer. And what I have realized is that my early adult experience of preparing to be on a literal witness stand merged with my background in education and the result was a false responsibility for helping others “get it.”