My district is undergoing realignment and budget cuts which has led to music and art being cut from 80 minutes a week to 30. This has forced me to reflect on who I am and what I am doing. I realized that I identify myself as a teacher and it makes up a large percentage of my identity.
During a recent conversation with a former coworker (who I look up to as a mentor), I mentioned that I need to not let being a teacher be my identity and how I saw this as a negative thing. She was slightly confused as to why this was a bad thing and told me that for some people being a teacher is what they were born to do. Therefore I should not feel bad for identifying myself as a teacher. She also reminded me that life comes with changes and taking a year or two away from the classroom (to focus on being a mom) does not mean I will never teach again.
I am a mom/wife/sister/daughter/teacher/coach/musician/athlete/Christian. I am many things, but the one thing that I see as my identity (besides my faith) is that I am a teacher. During the time I thought this was taken away from me (after being notified of my RIF status), I felt lost. Who am I if I am not teaching? The progress has been slow, but I think I have come to a spot where I am comfortable with the options that lay before me.
Over the past few weeks I have come to terms with the fact that I see myself as a teacher and I am ok with this. I realize that I am more than "just" a teacher. I have also worked through the idea of me not being a teacher for a while or being a different kind of teacher.
Life will change your thinking if you allow it.
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