With over 22 plus years of teaching under my belt, I’ve learned a lot, grown even more and have come to know what it truly means to be surrounded by good and caring people.
But, I think one of the most important things I have taken away from my journey thus far is to always be an example not only to your students but also in how you treat the people you work with. This realization was founded in years that I struggled through health issues. If it were not for the kind colleagues I had, maybe it might have been even more difficult. They were my example.
My journey since 2017 took a lot of twists and turns with a diagnosis of Thyroid cancer, then in 2019 a pre-cancer and lumpectomy, followed by a hysterectomy for a large endometrioma. Of course when you return to work you are met with balancing a career and numerous appointments, which I called, my appointments to the gas station for a check in.
At one point I even was recommended to speech therapy as I struggled to raise my voice to teach. One memory was doing a presentation where students asked me to speak louder, and I told them I couldn’t. At which the room went quiet and as I healed at work, they healed me with their compassion and love. My students were my example of compassion.
It was and has been a juggling act, but as all teachers know, you are only as good as your organization skills. I am healthy now and still teaching, but I’ve learned valuable lessons about compassion from my colleagues and students through the journey toward wellness.
You may be asking yourselves why I am sharing this with you. It is because in this time and space I learned that the kindness of my colleagues made it a little easier. Perhaps they don’t even know why, or how. It just did.
I learned that being a good teacher meant being kind to one another. It makes a difference and I came up with a list because of the experience.
- Be the teacher who asks if you are okay.
- Be the teacher who sends the email to check in.
- Be the teacher who says, I need to ask for wellness.
- Be the teacher who seeks balance and growth.
- Be the teacher who insists that in the caring of others that you take care of self.
- Be the teacher who reminds others to take care of themselves.
Be that teacher.
Don’t be the teacher who in our bountiful energy forgets to take care of you. You are only as good as your health. In the earlier part of my career I forgot that in order to make a difference you also had to make sure the oxygen in your physical tank is full and replenished. Go to that spa on the weekends and holidays, never forget to eat your lunch at work and be mindful of allowing others the space to do the same. If you feel overwhelmed as a new teacher, ask someone for help. Respect the time and space you use to take care of yourself.
“Stress that’s not dealt with can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.” Mayo Clinic
As we move toward more acceptance of the connections between stress and physical health, develop a mindset that will ensure that you will do what you love for as long as you desire. I think that is a lesson for all of us, not just those who teach.
Be well. Be that teacher.
Photo Credit
Photo is from Pixabay
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