On the Monday after our first break of the school year, I woke up with a terrifying thought. Writing it down, I could see how silly it was, but it felt completely real at the time. My train of thought went like this:
"I forgot how to teach! What am I doing here? I’m going to be the weak link in my team. My principal is going to see right through me & let me go. And the scariest thought of all - I’m going to let my students down."
The times I start spiraling like this are when I LOSE SIGHT of what a teacher really is.
It’s not someone who plans and carries out Pinterest worthy lessons for every subject. It’s not someone with thousands Instagram followers who love seeing what their classroom is up to. It’s not someone who only hands their students perfectly created worksheets from their TPT store.
A teacher is someone who wears a lot of hats. They are cheerleaders, tear driers, underpaid actors/actresses, they are motivators, they are creators. They’re flying planes while building them. In other words, they learn from failures every single day and pick themselves back up while teaching their students to do the same.
Most importantly, THEY SHOW UP.
Their students think they live at school (which isn’t far from the truth) because teachers are the people who they can count on to be there for them every. single. day.
They are the ones who leave all of their personal stress at the door, gulp down some caffeine, paste on a smile, and yell, “GOOOOD MORNING CLASS!”
And that’s what happened that Monday. As soon as the bell rang, my skill set that I’ve been honing for years took over and it was like riding a bike. Our normal routines happened and we had a great day.
So the next time you feel like an imposter (and it’ll happen) write down your definition of what a teacher is. Focus less on what hat you’re going to wear today & start connecting with your students.
You’ll feel better. Promise.
And hey, you’re doing better than you think you are.
Until next time friend!
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