Teaching is Heart Work

 Today I want to focus on a sensitive topic for me. If you've seen my inSpiration Sunday post, you already know where I'm going with my thoughts today. 

Teaching is not easy- period. We have good days and bad days (sometimes very bad) like everyone else. The things that we are upset about or feel frustrated about all relate to us wanting to be the best we can be for our students. We want their experiences in school to be positive and safe. To do this, our work often requires us to go beyond the clock, think outside the box, and complete our own self-selected research and learning. 

With this in mind, I get fired up when someone says to me "you put too much time into your work. You let it upset you too much, or you need to detach." (Cue the eyebrow raise...) Here I am, along with many other educators putting my heart and soul into my teaching, working around countless obstacles, and trying to support others along the way, and the answer when I feel upset is...to detach? 

What needs to happen is people who are not in the field need to spend more time getting to know a teacher, or even visit a classroom to grasp what we do day in and day out. They also need to find something that they are passionate about to relate to. For example marathon runners go through rigorous training to be prepared for a race. They endure muscle aches and pains, blisters, and spend a lot of money on shoes. However, when they feel defeated or frustrated by having a low pacing time or not having the best running day, most people wouldn't tell them they need to "detach" from it. They would encourage them to keep going, state their best is enough, and they are admired for their commitment, dedication, and resilience. Don't get me wrong, I've had a lot of encouragement and support from others (both in and out of the field) for my perseverance as a teacher. However, those that have an immediate response of "learn to detach" simply make me feel worse than I already do on a bad day. 

Fact of the matter is, I can't detach. I am unapologetically myself in saying that. I am passionate about my work and I don't plan on having that change. I also don't apologize for defining myself as a teacher, whereas others have told me to find other ways to describe who I am as a person because to them teaching is "just my job" (and I'll save my thoughts on the word "just" for another blog.")

My response is this; I am me. I am an educator. On paper that is my job role. More importantly in my heart I am a teacher and I love what I do. There are some days I don't love my day or what happened, but that will never change how I feel about my work. My unconditional love for what I do often causes me to have a "rough exterior" or seem "fired up" easily when I see injustice being done. However, teaching is my life's work and it will always be a part of who I am. It will always be what I feel called to do, and I will always encourage others who have heard the same calling to answer it. If we don't serve as teachers, what will happen to our students? Many have told me to leave and find another career if things are that tough. Why don't I? Because I fear more for what will happen if I don't live out my role as an educator  than if I stay an endure all that it entails, both good and bad. I also fear my happiness will dissipate if I leave the profession. However friends, if we do serve and we completely separate ourselves, I fear the outcome will be worse. A detached teacher in the classroom could lead to a worse future than one who chooses to leave. Either way, I don't see these scenarios as options. 

For me, the only option is to find what I personally love about my field, and yes, be selfish about it. I love writing articles and blogs, working with pre-service teachers, and working with different education communities and organizations. Those are activities I choose to do outside of my classroom work and turn to keep my spirits uplifted when I feel down or discouraged. Perhaps this is just me but, I feel that is a much better choice any day than leaving, or stay and detach...

Final thoughts: Keep finding inspiration to keep you motivated and moving forward. Keep supporting yourself, and your colleagues in good and bad times. Keep you strength when someone attempts to give you empty advice to "detach" or "leave." And finally, don't be afraid to tell that person he or she wasn't called to do this life's work of being a teacher like you were. You will keep answering that calling to make the field of education thrive for your students, and fellow teachers. You will make a difference, and believe me, you are seen...

Here for you friends, always and forever!