We cannot be perfect, great, or even above average

We cannot be perfect, great, or even above average

As an administrator during these times, I struggle to find the balance between being positive and overdoing it to the point of being positively toxic. In an article about toxic positivity, psychiatrist Gayani DeSilva described toxic positivity "as insincere positivity that leads to harm, needless suffering or misunderstanding." Personally, I know since March there was a month or two where I slammed the door on negative emotions, ignoring how I really felt. But I also wonder, "As an education leader, have I spread toxic positivity?"

During my fifth and sixth years of teaching, the teaching environment was awful.  Our principal was like a ping pong ball, caught in an acrimonious and untenable relationship between district administrators and teachers. On multiple occasions he told us, "be glad you have a job."  He meant well. He encouraged us to work hard but to also take time for themselves. Unfortunately, his days were numbered and we knew that. Uncertainty filled the air, and teachers were leaving the small school system in droves. Those who remained loved the school, and we believed we could do it all--and more. With little guidance or support, we were adjusting to block scheduling, SOLs and new accreditation standards, creating curriculum guides and more. We had planning every other day. I ran the student yearbook, was junior class sponsor, coached basketball and cross country, chaperoned monthly dances, and had 4 preps. In a 4-year span, except for the lifers, almost every single teacher, including some of my closest friends, had left.  

I didn't need someone telling me, "I was lucky to have a job" and the positive spin on everything grated at my core. The overtly optimistic statements denied, minimized and invalidated what I was feeling. I didn't realize it at the time, but almost every teacher was feeling the same. Left to our own devices, we each went about our work individually. Our new principal didn't make it more than one month before an HR nightmare emerged. Our superintendent and assistant superintendent would soon be leaving too. 

This only made our work more challenging because we couldn't see where we were going. There was no shared or visible path forward. 

I share this not for pity or commiseration, but because I find it somewhat analogous to our current situation. Today, I feel that society--and maybe me--are expecting too much from teachers. We're urging teachers to take care of themselves while also overloading them with too many responsibilities. But then I find myself thinking, Aren't we asking health care providers, service industry professionals and others to do the same? This is a pandemic and things are going to be different for everyone.  

I realized that I was talking out both sides of my mouth. My responsibility is to our teachers. I can't be worried about how health care and service industry workers are being treated.

I want to try to validate what you're feeling. I see what what's being expected of you. When you feel that the expectations are too much, you're not being a defeatist. We can't expect SOL and AP scores to be as high as last year. Your relationships with all of your students will not be as emotionally strong as in years' past. And no, all of your lessons will not be 5-star worthy. 

We have to admit that. It's not humanly possible. 

It's not a badge of honor to say I worked for 10 hours on Saturday and even longer on Sunday. Even though I've always viewed teaching as a calling and not a profession, that does not mean we should be sleeping for only 6 hours per night and taking our work everywhere we go. Heck, you could work 18 hour days, 7 days a week and you still will not have the perfect new lesson, all of your assignments graded with feedback, and have contacted the families of all of your students. 

Last I schecked we're still in a State of Emergency and in a pandemic. None of us know when "normal" will return and what "normal" will look like. The fluidity and changes we face only further complicate matters, but we do know that this will not continue forever. 

As we go forward, I hope that each of us will be better because of the challenges we've faced, and that's where I'll encourage you to invest your time. What can you do now that will make you a better teacher on the other side of this pandemic? What are the essentials that need to be taken care of? What can I reasonably accomplish right now? 

I encourage you to take some time to reflect and answer these questions. Talk it over with a colleague, a friend, or a significant other. What can you realistically accomplish? Instead of focusing on the maximum, try to figure out how you can maximize your time, wellness, and instruction. Trust yourself, your intuition and professionalism as you figure out where to make cuts. Some general ideas: 
  • Using technology to transform the learning experiences for your students by redesigning lessons and creating new learning tasks for students
  • Collecting and grading fewer assignments while exploring new ways to provide feedback 
  • Working collaboratively to share lesson ideas or to communicate with families 
  • Leveraging assistance from administrators and school counselors instead of trying to do it alone 
  • Communicate to students and families that you will not be able to respond to their questions as quickly as you have in the past
We cannot expect optimal results in non-optimal times. We're in this together and we're in this for the long-haul. 

I love each of you. You deserve spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical wellness and compassion. Give those to yourself, so you can give them to others. 

Using Nearpod to Find Lessons

One area where you may be able to save some time is to use Nearpod's extensive library and incorporating or adapting the Nearpod lesson to your needs. Here's how: 


Tasks/Important Information 


https://bit.ly/WAHSannounce To request an announcement, calendar event, etc. 

Community presentation on High School Redesign (click here): October 13


Brave Teacher Conference Our students need allies in their classrooms and communities.  This summit offers four different session tracks, including: LGBTQ+ BIPOC Support, Student Support, Trans/Non-Binary/Gender Non-Conforming Support and Policy & Advocacy.  The summit seeks to provide development and resources which will help attendees better support students.  The conference will be held via Zoom; registration is online at: https://events.bizzabo.com/239038/page/1591433/registration Learn more at: https://events.bizzabo.com/239038/home

Safety Protocols All staff should be checking in through the main entrance to complete the COVID screening process.

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