The Struggle is Real, or is it?

We are entering the 6th week of school. Insert scream of disbelief here. This week, I need to contact every family with a positive statement, and I need to alert families where students are not enjoying success that their grade may not be what we had hoped it to be. I need to schedule field trips, add the 7 new requirements to my lesson plans, find ways to engage my students and sit on 3 committees, all with accompanying meetings. I need to answer untold emails, and meet with students who need extra help, and get copies made and put my objectives on the board, and distribute untold stacks of vital information from the office, knowing that in four or five minutes, I will be admonishing students not to leave it behind. Yes, we are in full swing. Don’t forget clubs are starting up, and we need class advisors, and we need sponsors, and we have a social gathering to build unity as well as the fundraiser at a local restaurant.

Do you ever feel that way?

Except for the fact that it is now the beginning of the 2nd quarter, all of those things are done, excluding the field trips, and more things have been added. It’s taken me this long to get back to the writing.

We casually say “the struggle is real”, but we don’t really face what could traditionally be called a struggle. People at St. Jude’s hospital – their struggle is real. People who don’t know from whence their next meal will come – their struggle is real. People mourning the loss of a beloved family member inexplicably struck down by cancer – their struggle is real.

I want to be so clear about my fussing about the classroom and the accompanying 52,317 things that must be accomplished each week in addition to actually teaching is not really a struggle. It is really a privilege that has annoying elements. I may still joke with people about the struggle of being a teacher, but the truth is that joy of teaching students is real. The smile on their faces when they finally understand the theorems of AAS and HL and SAS and can use them in a proof. The smile on their faces when they finally break through and get an A on their tests. That is real.

Let’s remember why we teach. Let’s remember what is real. Don’t let any administrator, policy, misbehaving or difficult student or complaining parent steal the joy of teaching from you. Do something great with your class this week and remember the joy! Leave the struggle behind. If you are facing a real life struggle, you can still find the joy despite the struggle.

#thejoyisreal

Have a great week!