Find Your Passion Again as a Teacher

Can we all just let out a collective big sigh? Ahh. We made it to summer after yet another year of unknowns and curveballs. Another year of navigating difficult relationship building due to masks and virtual learning, complex discussion topics happening across our nation making for difficult subject matters in the classroom and last minute changes across the board. The toll teachers took this year was a big one, not to mention how we’ve all been affected by COVID-19 on a personal level outside of the classroom as parents, wives, friends, siblings. 

I know when I feel physically and emotionally weak, it’s hard to find inspiration. Let’s be real. Sometimes it’s hard to wake up and be excited about what I’m doing for the day when I’m drained in every single facet. If you’re there right now and you’re running dry, wondering how you can keep going, maybe even wondering IF you want to keep going...I see you and I hear you and so many of us are with you. That is such a normal feeling to feel right now. 

You’re not a bad teacher if you’re in this position right now. 

I don't have some magic potion or even a timeline to give you for when things will change, but I promise this feeling isn’t forever. Remind yourself of that first: it is a feeling, but it is not the truth. What you’re feeling is 100% normal and what I can give you are just a few tips for finding that passion again as a teacher. Here are some tips that have worked for me:

Make time for self-care

Use your summer well. Surround yourself with people who leave you encouraged, fuel your body well, get rest, and spend time doing the things that you love. After a year that maybe left you feeling empty, this is your time to take care of you. Maybe that’s easier said than done, especially if you have little ones at home, so here are a few more tips for how to make time for self-care when you’re busy.

Find community 

Have you found your people? You know - the ones you can tell absolutely anything to without fearing judgment, the ones who will tell you the truth in love and the ones who can always pull a laugh from you no matter the mood? These are your people and they’re important. We are not meant to do life alone. And do not be discouraged if you haven’t found your crew yet. It’s not as easy as it may seem on social media! Your people are out there and it takes putting yourself out there to find them. If you’re searching for like-minded individuals who understand what you’re going through, I can’t recommend our Get Your Teach On Conference in July enough! It’s a 4-day conference for teachers and educators and maybe this is out of your comfort zone, but there’s no better way to find community than by going all in!  

Release expectations

We often keep a really firm grip on how things were because we’re holding onto this expectation of what we think something is “supposed” to look like. Could you release this expectation? Would that allow you to enjoy your present more if you let go of how you thought things were supposed to look? Try letting go of not only your expectations for the rest of this summer, but also for this next school year.

Take a risk 

Hear me out: do you take risks in your classroom? Do you ever let judgment hold you back? Now, you don’t need to start lesson planning yet (go back to number one and schedule time for rest, please!), but start thinking about how you can shake some things up with your lesson plans next school year! Kids aren’t the only ones who need to step outside their comfort zone. 

Create a folder of all your favorite teacher moments

Nice emails from parents, cards from students, photos with other teachers, whatever it is that gives you those warm fuzzies, gather them all up! I want to go deeper than just telling you to remember your “why” because when it’s really hard - like it probably is right now - you may need something tangible to remember why you became a teacher. Think back to those moments when you were most proud and reflect on your memories. Just because it is hard doesn’t mean there isn’t also joy. Have grace for yourself in this! 

By sharing your feelings, you may inspire someone else to be vulnerable and honest with their feelings, and that is a powerful thing. Don’t ever be afraid to get real with how you’re doing! Remember that this is just a season. If you have other tips for finding your passion again as a teacher, I’d love to hear over on Instagram