Teaching is a unique profession. It’s an emotional roller coaster that relies on the moods of others… not just any “others,” but in my case, teenagers. Lesson plans change. We all learn to adapt. Some days are challenging, while others seem to go on without a hitch. It’s kind of great though because every day is a new start. Each morning I am blessed the promise of a new day and so are my students.
Last year I was going through a lot of personal issues. It was hard to shake it off and teach as if everything was okay. One of my students asked what was going on. Obviously I don’t go around sharing personal issues with them, and I caught myself snipping back with, “I know it’s hard to believe, but I have problems outside of school that don’t have to do with you.” In retrospect, this probably was not the right thing to do; however, they acted much different towards me that day. They were a little bit more compassionate and stayed on task. Why did they do this? Because of the relationship that we had built as a class.
Caring for my students has always been a priority for me as a teacher. I want them to feel safe and comfortable when they come into my room. Each of them matters and they need to realize that. I bring a lot of their issues home with me. I genuinely want each of them to succeed. Many days I leave school tired and warn out, but every day I leave with a full heart.
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