teach. pray. - Dear Students of America
Dear Students,
Many of my current and former students will, most likely, never see and read this, but I need to express myself.
You, sweet young people of America, are worth fighting for. Every single one of you is worth the fight. Do not let anyone else convince you differently. YOU ARE WORTH IT!
I am a teacher, but I am also a person with raw emotion. I am a teacher who pretends to be fine and ok for 10+ hours a day, but I am also a person with raw emotion. I am a teacher who gives 1,000% everyday in order to NOT FAIL her students - I am also a person with raw emotion. I am a teacher who opens her heart to love every child no matter the color of their skin, the religion they believe in, they country they were born in, the country their parents were born in, the clothes they wear, the family they come from, the address they do or do not have, the social class they belong to, the emotional, physical, or academic challenges they face - I love them anyway. I am also a person with raw emotion, and I'm allowed to have them.
Little do many of my elementary students know, but I do not live in the school. I do have a small life outside of this building. I do cry. I do feel pain. I do fight depression and anxiety. I do love running. I do have food on my table and money in my bank accounts. I do have a warm safe place to call home. I do have an amazing husband. I did have a violent alcoholic father. I did have a bipolar, self medicating step father. I do have a Super Woman of a mom - who was single parent for many years. I do have younger sisters in college. I did grow up poor. I did lose my brother and my sister. I did battle bullies in middle school. I did have to battle many wars to get where I am today. Many of the wars I battled are the wars you are battling now. You are not alone.
Yes, there are days it's hard to leave my little life emotions at the door when I walk in to teach you. Yes, there are days my patience is short. Yes, there are days I'm fighting for you inside and outside the school walls. Yes, there are days I want to give up too. Yes, there are days I'm not perfect or strong. After all, I am a person with raw emotion. But, I fight for you. You, my friends, are worth the fight. Every single one of you.
Teaching is a stressful job where funds are scarce and voices are rarely heard. I must plan rigorous lessons to meet ever changing standards. I must provide you with a certain amount of reading minutes, writing minutes, math minutes, social/emotional/behavior minutes with a caseload that is not realistically manageable. I must attend this class or that. I must get this add on endorsement, because my Master's plus 30 isn't a good enough credential. (Yet, a white billionaire business woman who has never set foot into a public school can be our Secretary of State.) I must prepare you for college and careers. I must instill good citizenship. I must nurture your heart and soul when you are homeless, hungry, beaten, sleepy, happy, angry, depressed.
By law, I must teach you to take a grade level standardized assessment even when you struggle to read two grade levels below. I watch your eyes fill with tears. I watch your heart stop beating. I watch your pride deflate. I see your frustration. I see you breaking down. I see the stress on your 9, 10, 11 and 12 year old faces. I am with you. I hurt with you. I cry with you. I deflate with you. For your worth should NOT be measured by a score on a standardized test - and neither should mine.
It has been said public education has failed the children for many generations now. If I have ever failed you in any possible way - I am sorry. However, what these people are forgetting is they can read, write, think critically, problem solve, calculate, and even communicate because of teachers. They can sit in congress or the White House and pass bills, bans, and executive orders because of teachers.
I am tired. I am stressed. I am making myself sick fighting for other people's kids. One day the fight may break me. And, one day, the fight may break every good teacher who has ever walked into a school and touched a child's life. And, when all of these teachers are broken down, it will not be the child's fault. The fault will lie solely on the broken system.
Sweet students of mine, you bring light to my life. You make me smile. You make my heart sing. You make the battle worth the fight. Every single one of you.
Many of my current and former students will, most likely, never see and read this, but I need to express myself.
You, sweet young people of America, are worth fighting for. Every single one of you is worth the fight. Do not let anyone else convince you differently. YOU ARE WORTH IT!
I am a teacher, but I am also a person with raw emotion. I am a teacher who pretends to be fine and ok for 10+ hours a day, but I am also a person with raw emotion. I am a teacher who gives 1,000% everyday in order to NOT FAIL her students - I am also a person with raw emotion. I am a teacher who opens her heart to love every child no matter the color of their skin, the religion they believe in, they country they were born in, the country their parents were born in, the clothes they wear, the family they come from, the address they do or do not have, the social class they belong to, the emotional, physical, or academic challenges they face - I love them anyway. I am also a person with raw emotion, and I'm allowed to have them.
Little do many of my elementary students know, but I do not live in the school. I do have a small life outside of this building. I do cry. I do feel pain. I do fight depression and anxiety. I do love running. I do have food on my table and money in my bank accounts. I do have a warm safe place to call home. I do have an amazing husband. I did have a violent alcoholic father. I did have a bipolar, self medicating step father. I do have a Super Woman of a mom - who was single parent for many years. I do have younger sisters in college. I did grow up poor. I did lose my brother and my sister. I did battle bullies in middle school. I did have to battle many wars to get where I am today. Many of the wars I battled are the wars you are battling now. You are not alone.
Yes, there are days it's hard to leave my little life emotions at the door when I walk in to teach you. Yes, there are days my patience is short. Yes, there are days I'm fighting for you inside and outside the school walls. Yes, there are days I want to give up too. Yes, there are days I'm not perfect or strong. After all, I am a person with raw emotion. But, I fight for you. You, my friends, are worth the fight. Every single one of you.
Teaching is a stressful job where funds are scarce and voices are rarely heard. I must plan rigorous lessons to meet ever changing standards. I must provide you with a certain amount of reading minutes, writing minutes, math minutes, social/emotional/behavior minutes with a caseload that is not realistically manageable. I must attend this class or that. I must get this add on endorsement, because my Master's plus 30 isn't a good enough credential. (Yet, a white billionaire business woman who has never set foot into a public school can be our Secretary of State.) I must prepare you for college and careers. I must instill good citizenship. I must nurture your heart and soul when you are homeless, hungry, beaten, sleepy, happy, angry, depressed.
By law, I must teach you to take a grade level standardized assessment even when you struggle to read two grade levels below. I watch your eyes fill with tears. I watch your heart stop beating. I watch your pride deflate. I see your frustration. I see you breaking down. I see the stress on your 9, 10, 11 and 12 year old faces. I am with you. I hurt with you. I cry with you. I deflate with you. For your worth should NOT be measured by a score on a standardized test - and neither should mine.
It has been said public education has failed the children for many generations now. If I have ever failed you in any possible way - I am sorry. However, what these people are forgetting is they can read, write, think critically, problem solve, calculate, and even communicate because of teachers. They can sit in congress or the White House and pass bills, bans, and executive orders because of teachers.
I am tired. I am stressed. I am making myself sick fighting for other people's kids. One day the fight may break me. And, one day, the fight may break every good teacher who has ever walked into a school and touched a child's life. And, when all of these teachers are broken down, it will not be the child's fault. The fault will lie solely on the broken system.
Sweet students of mine, you bring light to my life. You make me smile. You make my heart sing. You make the battle worth the fight. Every single one of you.
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