Teacher Tales #43 – Uplifting words, no judgments, acknowledging our worth: Adrienne, English teacher, Senior Project Coordinator and supportive colleague

In this episode, I have a personal conversation with Adrienne, a teacher who helped lift me up and kept me going when I was ready to quit and leave the profession. So many teachers are feeling this now, and it is so critical that we realize how important it is to not be negative and pass judgments on each other, but rather to lift each other up with our words and actions. We shouldn’t feel jealousy. It’s not a competition. It is about the profession and acknowledging the worth of EVERY teacher and what strengths they bring to the classroom. Adrienne sums it up well: “we need to motivate and uplift each other to get through our lows.” Amen! Adrienne and I talk about teacher pay, teacher morale and administrative support. But wait…we also talk about how school life is much different than corporate life and how reverence and respect can go a long way toward retaining teachers in the profession. And maybe, THAT is an important part of what each teacher can do to make a difference in education. Reach out and BE THE CHANGE you want to see in your school!