Skip to main content

Teacher Table Talk: Choose Your Battles

So far, my first year of teaching middle school literacy has been busy.  

Some days are more challenging than others, as almost everything is new to me. I’m currently teaching hybrid classes and have been tasked with making sure my online students and in-person ones are keeping up with the class material each week. Before this, during the first semester of school, I was teaching virtually and asked by my administrators to also take on a special education class, as there was (and currently remains) a teacher shortage to cover different classes that need more teachers. I accepted taking on the additional class, which was honestly great as it allowed me to gain more teaching experience. 

 

Along with being a first year educator, per my contract, I’m also assigned and required to have an experienced teacher mentor. And while teaching’s been going well, my relationship with my mentor has been interesting and honestly uncomfortable at times. There have been some conflicts, disagreements, and confrontations, which can happen as a first year educator, and fortunately, we’ve been able to work through them. No matter how I may personally feel about someone or think they might feel about me, my goal in the workplace has always been to work hard, remain cordial and professional, and get what needs to be done, done. When my mentor and I first met, I learned she was an older and seasoned teacher who had many years of teaching experience under her belt. When she met me, she instantly made condescending comments about how young she thought I looked and expressed concerns about my abilities to teach. This went on for a while and though I was annoyed, I smiled, brushed the comments off, and focused on what I was hired to do. I also observed and connected with other teachers who were seasoned, sincere, and professional, who taught me about who and what to avoid, best teaching practices, and kindly offered to help me if and as needed. 

 

One of the biggest things I’m learning as an educator is that it’s best to choose your battles. This isn’t an easy climate to teach in, but we’re all in this together. Every little thing doesn’t need to be addressed or dissected. And none of us have time for gossip, negativity, or pettiness either. I know I don’t. I’ve got lessons to plan, assignments to grade, parents to contact, students who need my help, classes to take, and meetings and trainings to attend. We’ve all got work to do, and ultimately, I always want to do my best and be the kind of educator my students need. 

Popular posts from this blog

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace.       As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken t...