I can’t remember who said this me once but I think about it often: Sometimes you’re in the right church, but sitting in the wrong pew.
While reading this chapter I thought about how when I’m making the decision to switch schools or if maybe I just need to switch roles within the same school I think really I’m basing it off of where I would be in the best position to better care for students in a way that I’m best equipped to do and also personally be cared for/better supported. I keep trying to think of the ways that I feel best supported as a teacher and I think one of the ways is when I feel im genuinely trusted by admin. That one is huge for me.
One area Im still grappling with is how to balance getting my work done during the day with bonding with my colleagues which I know lets them know I care. I am super determined to get my work done during the school day so I’m not spending as many hours at home doing work (which I have not been successful at so far) but then I don’t want to appear cold to my colleagues. At the same time a prep period so quickly disappears when I start talking to someone - which is super fun to catch up in the moment but then I’m resentful that I have more work to do at home…once again this comes back to time for me. I haven’t quite figured out how to strike this balance.
Thank you again for creating this space! I’m so grateful I’ve been reading the book each week and love the format of digesting it chapter by chapter. I don’t know that I would’ve been able to finish it during the school year without this format. So thank you!!
That’s such a great saying! I seem to start getting antsy to switch school buildings every 5-6 years. After 5 years, you can really begin to see the structures and systems of a building. I start to get weary of fighting the same systemic barriers. However, I’ve move around enough to realize that no matter where I go, there are challenges everywhere. So, to your point, it’s better to ask myself if I’m in a good position to care for my students.
Argh! There is never enough time! School isn’t designed for teachers to be collegial. Prep times are never long enough. There are some weeks that I go all day without even seeing my teammates. It’s hard to establish care routines when we are expected to do so much. I don’t have any answers. I just to do the best I can each day.
I’m so happy that you are enjoying this fall book study! I’ve loved reading alongside everyone.
I worked at three different schools across my first eight years, and I'm incredibly grateful for the humility and perspective seeing what different school contexts can be like.
Now, though? I'm very much hoping this is the "put down stakes" portion of my career—one in which my own kids end up going to the same school as high schoolers where they visited "Daddy's classroom" frequently as toddlers. That means riding the inevitable waves of any school, of course, but I think there's a value in what can be built in the long term, too. (At least that's my hope!)
"How to balance getting my work done during the day with bonding with my colleagues which I know lets them know I care."
Oh this resonated with me this morning. Especially with two little kiddos at home, I've tried to be really good this year of taking care as much as I can in the time that I have at school...which often means closing my door and getting to work on my own in my planning time, before/after school, lunch, etc.
Really helpful for work-life balance! But not ideal when building the connections needed across the building, especially in a 2000-student school like mine.
One of the most difficult decisions I had to make occurred earlier in my career when I was working at a school with incredibly toxic leadership—including some really sketchy stuff happening at the district level. As a member of the school leadership team, I spoke up about some of those things and was essentially told to "leave them off the minutes," etc., and realized that it would only get more challenging the longer I stayed.
I was commuting to work at that school and there was an opening in the school where I lived, so I realized eventually that I needed to make that change.
The problem? The students at that school, in part due to the toxic leadership from the district, had experienced many of their teachers saying goodbye. And the fact that I was only going to a school 20 minutes away? Made it even harder.
There are many really positive days in my career that I will never forget. Telling each class period that I was leaving without being able to tell them the reason why near the end of that school year?
Without question the right decision and without question one of the worst days of my teaching career.
Thank you for sharing your story here. Leaving a toxic workplace is a very difficult choice. I’m thinking about a quote from Venet’s Rest-stop by teacher Annie Pham, “I’m more committed to children than I am to school.” In the end, in order to be our best teacher selves for students, we need a positive work environment. Moving schools is a choice that led you to where you are now, which might be different if you had stayed. I’m sure your students will always remember you as a singular, positive teacher that made the school a better place!
I can’t remember who said this me once but I think about it often: Sometimes you’re in the right church, but sitting in the wrong pew.
While reading this chapter I thought about how when I’m making the decision to switch schools or if maybe I just need to switch roles within the same school I think really I’m basing it off of where I would be in the best position to better care for students in a way that I’m best equipped to do and also personally be cared for/better supported. I keep trying to think of the ways that I feel best supported as a teacher and I think one of the ways is when I feel im genuinely trusted by admin. That one is huge for me.
One area Im still grappling with is how to balance getting my work done during the day with bonding with my colleagues which I know lets them know I care. I am super determined to get my work done during the school day so I’m not spending as many hours at home doing work (which I have not been successful at so far) but then I don’t want to appear cold to my colleagues. At the same time a prep period so quickly disappears when I start talking to someone - which is super fun to catch up in the moment but then I’m resentful that I have more work to do at home…once again this comes back to time for me. I haven’t quite figured out how to strike this balance.
Thank you again for creating this space! I’m so grateful I’ve been reading the book each week and love the format of digesting it chapter by chapter. I don’t know that I would’ve been able to finish it during the school year without this format. So thank you!!
That’s such a great saying! I seem to start getting antsy to switch school buildings every 5-6 years. After 5 years, you can really begin to see the structures and systems of a building. I start to get weary of fighting the same systemic barriers. However, I’ve move around enough to realize that no matter where I go, there are challenges everywhere. So, to your point, it’s better to ask myself if I’m in a good position to care for my students.
Argh! There is never enough time! School isn’t designed for teachers to be collegial. Prep times are never long enough. There are some weeks that I go all day without even seeing my teammates. It’s hard to establish care routines when we are expected to do so much. I don’t have any answers. I just to do the best I can each day.
I’m so happy that you are enjoying this fall book study! I’ve loved reading alongside everyone.
I worked at three different schools across my first eight years, and I'm incredibly grateful for the humility and perspective seeing what different school contexts can be like.
Now, though? I'm very much hoping this is the "put down stakes" portion of my career—one in which my own kids end up going to the same school as high schoolers where they visited "Daddy's classroom" frequently as toddlers. That means riding the inevitable waves of any school, of course, but I think there's a value in what can be built in the long term, too. (At least that's my hope!)
"How to balance getting my work done during the day with bonding with my colleagues which I know lets them know I care."
Oh this resonated with me this morning. Especially with two little kiddos at home, I've tried to be really good this year of taking care as much as I can in the time that I have at school...which often means closing my door and getting to work on my own in my planning time, before/after school, lunch, etc.
Really helpful for work-life balance! But not ideal when building the connections needed across the building, especially in a 2000-student school like mine.
That balance is so hard...
One of the most difficult decisions I had to make occurred earlier in my career when I was working at a school with incredibly toxic leadership—including some really sketchy stuff happening at the district level. As a member of the school leadership team, I spoke up about some of those things and was essentially told to "leave them off the minutes," etc., and realized that it would only get more challenging the longer I stayed.
I was commuting to work at that school and there was an opening in the school where I lived, so I realized eventually that I needed to make that change.
The problem? The students at that school, in part due to the toxic leadership from the district, had experienced many of their teachers saying goodbye. And the fact that I was only going to a school 20 minutes away? Made it even harder.
There are many really positive days in my career that I will never forget. Telling each class period that I was leaving without being able to tell them the reason why near the end of that school year?
Without question the right decision and without question one of the worst days of my teaching career.
Thank you for sharing your story here. Leaving a toxic workplace is a very difficult choice. I’m thinking about a quote from Venet’s Rest-stop by teacher Annie Pham, “I’m more committed to children than I am to school.” In the end, in order to be our best teacher selves for students, we need a positive work environment. Moving schools is a choice that led you to where you are now, which might be different if you had stayed. I’m sure your students will always remember you as a singular, positive teacher that made the school a better place!