Teacher Tales #5 – The Importance of Priority, Balance and Sustainability: Meredith, HS Spanish Teacher, Conference “junkie” and T.O.Y.

In this episode, we talk to Meredith, a high school Spanish teacher and conference “junkie” who gives so much to her students, to her colleagues and to her profession. So, how does she do it? She explains that the etymology of the word “priority” was always singular, but how we have now made it plural and created situations that are not sustainable unless we set boundaries and a balance between our professional and personal lives as well as our inner and outer worlds. She explores how teaching is too much and not enough at the same time, how enough is a decision and not an amount and why “no” is a complete sentence that we need to get to know better. Meredith is such a genuine person who speaks such profound truth about teaching, but at the same time, she offers a lighter and somewhat humorous perspective for us to enjoy. As she says, we need to take our job seriously, but sometimes, we need to take ourselves less seriously. We have to become more aware, vulnerable and real about what we need so that we can be more empowered to make those choices that will help us set one priority, bring balance and create sustainability in life.