Teacher Friend,
There is nothing you cannot do. In reality, there is nothing that you don’t do. You are an instructor, a mentor, an advocate, a scheduler, a role model, a counselor, a cheerleader, a coach, an entertainer, a decision-maker, a caretaker, an encourager.
You do what many couldn’t bear to do. And you do it every. single. day.
You wear these hats daily and many of them all at once. What a weight that must be.
I wish I could tell you to simply remove those hats. I wish it were that easy. But it’s not. It’s impossible to serve as a teacher without also being all the things children and youth need at any given point in a 7-hour day.
But is that not the beauty of the profession? Is that not what you worked towards – spent countless hours studying, researching, and planning for? It’s all part of why you were drawn to the profession, but when you’re in it, the many hats you wear are so heavy that they crush the fire that made you excited to put them on in the first place.
Today, I encourage you to look at the beauty of wearing the hats you do. The responsibility you have to instruct, mentor, encourage, and fight for the next generation. Take some time today to adjust your hats. To allow yourself the freedom to take one (or all of them) off every now and then, even if only for a moment. Today, I urge you to remember why you became a teacher and let that motivate you to wear your many hats well. Your past self deserves that. Your present self deserves that. Your future self deserves that. And our future generations require that to be successful. Go help them be successful.
xo,
Sara
