TEACHER — Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Teaching

There is something about the beginning of a school year that feels like a fresh start.

Freshly decorated classrooms. New school supplies. New students. New goals. New expectations.

And underneath all of that excitement, there can also be a lot of pressure.

When I was teaching, there are a few things I wish someone had reminded me of more often.

You won't reach every student every day.

Some days, the lesson will click. Other days, you'll wonder if anyone heard a word you said. A student's difficult day isn't always a reflection of your ability to teach them.

A difficult class doesn't mean you're a bad teacher.

Sometimes you're managing behaviors, emotions, learning differences, personalities, expectations, and needs that no lesson plan could possibly prepare you for.

You are allowed to leave work at work.

There will always be another email to answer, paper to grade, lesson to adjust, or classroom task waiting for you.

The work can always find a reason to follow you home.

That doesn't mean you have to let it.

You don't have to say yes to prove that you care.

Teachers are often some of the first people asked to volunteer, stay late, take on another responsibility, help another student, join another committee, or solve another problem.

Caring deeply and having boundaries can exist at the same time.

Taking care of yourself doesn't take something away from your students.

Rest doesn't make you less dedicated.

Going home doesn't make you selfish.

Having a life outside of your classroom doesn't mean you care any less about the children inside of it.

And maybe most importantly:

Your worth isn't measured by test scores, observations, parent emails, classroom behavior, or how much of yourself you're willing to sacrifice.

Nobody talks enough about how much teachers carry home.

The student you're worried about.

The parent email you're replaying.

The lesson that didn't go the way you hoped.

The paperwork that's waiting.

The pressure to do more.

And whatever is happening in your own life.

This school year, remember:

You can care deeply without carrying everything.

You are a teacher.

But you are also a person.

And that person deserves to be cared for, too.