Teachers are never just teachers.
Eager to help others, often at the expense of their own health, teachers take on many responsibilities. Zipping from one responsibility to another, they are student advocates, counselors, problem solvers, organizers, managers, mediators, role-models, and mentors. Teacher challenges are many-only those in the trenches can really relate.
Teachers go way beyond the three Rs. Working in a demanding environment with students for many hours a day is both tiring and stressful. No one else can understand what it’s like. It’s no wonder many teachers burn-out.
Teachers also tend to focus on their perceived shortcomings – unfinished projects, situations/lessons that did not go well, difficulties with certain students, etc. They want to make a difference and have high expectations, but when those experiences fall short, it’s upsetting.
As the school year comes to an end, it’s vital to banish those negative thoughts. Reflect on the good. Acknowledge and appreciate accomplishments and hard work. Here are some areas for teaching inspiration for you to consider as you move from the end of the school year and ease into the summer months:
Think about . . .
- The countless ways students showed progress.
- How you changed students’ lives for the better.
- Everything you did to maintain student interest and engagement.
- Ways you improved the classroom culture.
- The colleagues you helped.
- The risks you took.
- How you fostered communication and collaboration with parents and the community.
- The new ideas and teaching methods you incorporated.
- The countless ways you showed you care.
View the summer as an opportunity to reflect and rejuvenate.
Take time for rest and well-being. Read for pleasure, enjoy the outside, sleep in, do something you enjoy.
When you find yourself reflecting on the year you just finished, recognize your accomplishments, and use these inspirational thoughts as fuel to keep
going this fall.