What a troubling two years it’s been for us educators, right fellow educators? I know I’ve never made it clear in this newsletter before, but I actually am an educator. “Really?” you’re asking yourself, “I thought you were somebody’s assistant or something?” WRONG! I’m an educator, one of the many great civilians dedicating their lives to the vital task of molding young minds.
Don’t believe me? Well, believe THIS! This past Wednesday, I participated in a 30 minute Q+A during a career week in a Massachusetts middle school’s zoom class. And that makes me an OFFICIAL educator. Trust me when I say I did more than just educate. I inspired those kids, I motivated them, I might have been the first person to ever really get through to them. I don’t want to overstate my influence, but I’m pretty sure I changed the entire course of their lives.
And I learned a lot myself. I know my fellow educators will agree with me on this: zoom has made it impossible for us to do our work thoroughly. Not only can you not get a read on how moved the kids are by your words, you can barely even tell how much they’re loving your hilarious jokes! It’s infuriating and completely discouraging.
Luckily for me, I knew exactly how much the kids were appreciating my session because afterwards, I had them go around and say what they liked best about me. The first round was all physical (which was a little disappointing…): perfect hair, glowing skin, and sparkly white teeth. “That’s really nice!” I said. “But how about the content of my words???” Then I went into a 20 minute rant about how women are judged by their looks first, ideas second and how these kids were ultimately a PART of the problem. It really sunk in because in the second round they all said things like powerful advice, thoughtful anecdotes, and nice hair again (I eventually sent that kid home).
This is the problem! My fellow educators and I have been living in hell not knowing how we’re being perceived. Honestly, it’s a testament to our resilience that we even show up everyday, and an even bigger testament to our personalities when we become these kids’ heroes and icons. Which I did. How do I know that? I sent a survey after the class asking “if you could describe me in two words, which would they be and why are they ‘hero and icon?’”
For me, the most rewarding part about being an educator is not how beloved I am, though I am beloved. Of course, teaching is ultimately about the kids. The most rewarding part is knowing that those kids will grow up and chase their dreams. They’ll believe in themselves and change the world, making it a better place for those around them and those who come after them. And at every step along the way, they’ll be thinking of that cool, funny, beautiful woman who encouraged them to do just that. So in a way, I’ll have changed the world myself, singlehandedly.
And that’s why I love being an educator <3
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Be blessed.
Who knew???😍😍