Teacher Table Talk: Finding Balance

Like many careers, the teaching profession has its pros and cons. There’s rewarding and purposeful work, the opportunity to inspire and change the lives of students, and you’re always learning something new. I have yet to meet an educator who has “mastered” the field. Many of the ones I’ve met have let me know how much they’re continually learning something new about the work they do. Then there are the challenges. Things like adjusting to in-person and virtual learning while trying to navigate living and learning during a global pandemic, overcoming communication barriers with parents, ensuring students are socially, emotionally, and academically set, and making sure that as an educator, I’m prioritizing my well-being while juggling a career that involves a lot of planning, structure, and time management.

As a first-year educator, I’m still finding my rhythm and learning the importance of having balance. I’m fully aware of what’s expected of me on a professional level, and I’m genuinely excited and passionate about the work I get to do. However, I know how important it is to make sure I’m properly managing my time and boundaries between work and my personal life. One morning during a staff meeting one of my administrators told everyone, “I want you all to get into the habit of shutting work off at the end of the day.” And though I heard her, I also understood that there would be times and seasons when I needed to be flexible. There have already been different evenings and weekends when I’ve brought work home with me and mornings when I’ve shown up to work early to make sure I have things set for my day and week to flow more efficiently. It can be so tempting to respond to work emails after hours, or incoming text and phone calls from other staff members, attending non-mandatory after work meetings and events, and to become so immersed in lesson planning and more, that you can easily lose track of time and feel like you never actually left work for the day, which can be stressful. I know leaving work at work will look different for everyone, but I believe it’s an important thing to do. During my first few months of teaching, I noticed some teachers who were quickly heading out and heading home at the end of the workday, others who stayed after hours, and some who felt that they should stay late for appearances sake, but overall, I believe balance is key. If you’re an educator, I hope you’re taking good care of yourself, prioritizing your time and well-being, and finding a balance that works best for you.

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...

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

The Day I Made A Will

When I was a teenager, I remember writing a list of my greatest fears. One of the things I listed was death. Looking back, it was an interesting item to list because inevitably, death is something each of us will face at some point in our lives. Even though it’s no longer a fear of mine, I understand why and how it’s not a comfortable thing for everyone to navigate. But regardless, this past summer I completed a detailed will. I signed it, had witnesses sign it, and got it notarized. As I was getting everything done, one of the witnesses looked at me and said, “You know, it’s just that you’re so young…” I’ve learned that death doesn’t care how young or how old you are. You can be five, fifteen, thirty, or fifty, and it’s still something that happens. Completing my will wasn’t scary. It gave me peace of mind having documentation in place stating my detailed directives and requests. A year ago, I had one of my kidneys removed. It was a surgery that came with risks that were presented cle...

Making Waves