When You Have a Bad Day.
Wonderful teachers have bad days. Here’s how I turn things around with gratitude.
Actually, it wasn’t that I had a bad day. It was a whole week of bad days put together. My week started with a bit of workplace gossip that weighed on my heart, continued with doctor’s visits to address a misdiagnosed ear infection in my understandably miserable six-year-old, and finished with ruined weekend plans.
Stuff. Happens.
My beautiful little house is a disaster zone, my to-do list is miles long, I feel frazzled and drained, and even though I tried my very best, I know I let at least a couple of people down.
So… what next?
Logically, I know this has been the best school year I’ve had in a long time. In the past seven years I’ve had two complicated pregnancies, been a toddler mama during a pandemic, ended my marriage and started a new job. My previously conventional and fairly comfortable life was scrambled like eggs in a frying pan. Through sheer determination and a little bit of grace, I came out of it all standing on my own two feet, with two healthy children and a tribe of wonderful humans by my side.
I’ve learned to set boundaries like never before. I’ve learned to differentiate between what matters deeply and what truly doesn’t. I’ve learned that although it’s possible to find people who will hurt you if you let them, the world is mostly filled with decent human beings who are happy to help if you ask.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that “my life” is just a story, or a series of perceptions, and that I get to decide which experiences are worthy of my attention.
Gratitude for Teachers
As you’ve probably heard, gratitude is very good for us! This is supported by many scientific studies as well as the wisdom of countless sages. (Want examples? Send me an email!)
So at the end of what felt like a whole week of bad teacher days, I’m going to count my teacher blessings.
I invite you to join me in practicing some teacher gratitude of your own as you read along with me. If you’re really in a funk, just pick 5 prompts to lift your spirits. Spend some time thinking about each the things that come to mind, and allow the weight to lift a little as you do.
15 Things I’m Grateful For:
I work as part of an incredible staff of human beings. They care about children and they care about each other. If someone needs help, it’s provided. If someone needs a kind listener, they’ve got one. We have so, so many laughs. If you’re reading this, you know who you are, and I am grateful for you.
*Who, on your staff, makes your job and your life feel better?
We work with incredible children and families. Of course there are challenges, but our students are kind, diligent and highly capable. They come from families who care about their children and about us, their children’s teachers.
*Recall a student or group of students you’re grateful to teach. What is it that makes you enjoy working with them, or gives you a sense of purpose?Over the years, I’ve been privileged to work with outstanding educators and leaders. The bar has been set sky high. Many of these educators and leaders are dear friends today.
*Who are the educators and leaders who have inspired you? Who pushes you to be the best you can be, and who demonstrates compassion when you don’t feel like you’re at your best?
I work in a profession that allows me to learn, laugh and make a difference, every single day. These are little words with big significance. I get to learn, matter deeply, and laugh often. Every day!
*What do you get to do each day that you genuinely like doing?I have many past students who keep in touch, sharing their successes and sending pictures of their young families. An actress I once taught just invited me to see a play, and a parent of a past student just sent me her college graduation photos. It’s truly amazing to think that my impact on these students was significant enough that they want to share their successes over a decade after I taught them.
*Can you think of past students you’ve worked with who you’ve run into around town, or who shared their gratitude for you?I work in a system that allows jeans, every day! And hey- sometimes, the little things matter!
*What does your system or school get right?I have a permanent contract in a jurisdiction that pays public teachers relatively well. I still work many hours and never turn off my teacher- brain, but I have job security while raising my children as a single mama.
*What does your contract provide that benefits your life?I work as part of a collaborative team. I lead a team of ten teachers who are responsible for the learning of 300 seventh graders! The Social Studies unit I’m currently teaching was planned by a trusted colleague while I planned the novel study we’re working on. Our end of the year field trip has been planned by another teacher. Working this way is efficient and, more importantly, it brings us closer as a team. We get to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
*Where in your job do you get to feel like part of a community?I begin every single day with tea from the coffee shop on my way to work. It’s my own little luxury, and it makes every morning better.
*What little luxuries do you allow yourself? Stop and appreciate them!I’ve lost count of how many carts of computers my school has. We don’t have a computer for every child, but I can access computers for my classes nearly every period that we need them. Two new carts of chromebooks have been added just this year.
Several years ago, my school was visited by two Maasai Warriors. They spoke of sharing a single pencil between two students when they were children, because resources were THAT scarce. What a gift it is, to work in an environment where students are provided with such incredible resources!
*What resources do you have access to that make your work easier, or that benefit your students in a big way?Speaking of resources, I work in a brand new building. That means new everything- new audiovisual equipment, a new 3D printer, new Smart Boards in every classroom. A new library collection specifically curated to highlight diverse voices so that every child sees themself in our school. A beautiful foods room with stainless-steel everything, a fully functional construction lab I know very little about, and a gorgeous art room with granite tabletops, two kilns and beautiful but practical storage.
*What elements of your physical school building are you grateful for?My teaching allows me to own a beautiful little home that fills me with gratitude when I walk through the door. It’s a home where my children feel loved and free to be themselves, and where I do, too.
*Consider the material blessings bestowed upon you because you teach. What do you love about your home? Do you ever pause to appreciate the roof over your head, your furnace/air conditioning, or running water? These are luxuries that no one had only a couple of centuries ago!Last year, for the first time, I taught with a past student! This student made beautiful progress during their middle school years, and had reached out years later to share that I had inspired them to become a teacher, and they had just been accepted into an education program. And suddenly there they were, teaching down the hall! I have a few stories like this one, and they fill my heart every time I think of them.
*What student successes do you celebrate each time you think of the children you’ve taught in the past?I have a few, dear-to-my-heart teacher gifts: perhaps my favourite of all the gifts I have ever received was a tiny, hand-sewn pouch of sweetgrass gifted to me by an indigenous student. Her gift seemed to say, “thank you for seeing me and honoring my light.” She was a soft spoken and kindhearted child. I’ve kept the pouch for years, and it reminds me of her every time I look at it.
*What special gifts have you received from students and parents that touch your heart and help you remember your impact?Summers off! As teachers, we know that we NEED our summers to recharge and reset. But still, how many professions allow so many weeks of unscheduled time while the sun is shining?
I can’t wait for SUN, hiking, time with loved ones, a slower pace, fresh local fruit, and special activities with my children.
*What are YOU most looking forward to this summer?
After writing this list, my body relaxed and so did my heart. And you know what? The weekend plans were restored! I encourage you to make a gratitude list of your own and to put it somewhere visible. What is your teacher heart grateful for?
Like what you see here? I post every other week, so stay tuned for more! In the meantime, please check out the free guides to teaching Art and integrating the Arts & SEL into core subjects! You can find them here.
