This year has been a marathon for teachers.
They’ve faced constant changes and big challenges at every turn.
It’s been hard to teach into the abyss of black screens and muted microphones or navigating
the hybrid landscape with our attention split between students at home and in person at
the same time.
Or the challenge of keeping students socially distanced with the constant reminders to keep
their masks on.
We miss the little things like fist bumps and high fives and the smiles on students’
faces when they have that “aha” moment.
Teaching has been a marathon.
However, at the end of this marathon, there are different levels of tired.
Some people are simply exhausted.
They have crossed the finish line and they are placing their hands over their head with
a mix of gratitude that it’s over and a sense of pride over facing a huge challenge.
These teachers are worn out and need rest.
Other teachers are injured.
These teachers have finished the marathon but they’re hurting.
They have experienced is genuine injustice and it has shaken them to core.
Many have faced trauma.
These teachers need more than just rest.
They need healing.
I made this continuum for myself to think through whether I’m tired or actually injured.
This isn’t scientific or research-based.
It’s just a tool I made for myself years ago and I thought I’d share it:
Here’s how it works.
In some cases, you need rest.
Rest is a chance to recharge.
Here, you need a break but you’re also ready to learn.
So, you might take a vacation, go on a few hikes, spend time with friends, read a book,
spend a day baking, or binge-watch tv shows.
But you might also engage in professional learning and work on some planning for the
next year.
Next, there is recovery.
Here, you might need a longer break with deeper processing.
You might still have a vacation and spend time engaging in hobbies and being with loved
ones.
You might engage also engage in professional learning.
But you might also need some time to reflect and journal or have coffee with a friend to
process this past schoolyear.
You might need restoration.
Here, you recognize that something was taken from you this year and you need to recover
it.
In this phase, you still need to rest and recharge with time off.
But you might also need affirmation.
You might re-read old thank you notes from students or meet up with a colleague who will
remind you that you are a great teacher even if this schoolyear was a dumpster fire.
This might even be a chance to celebrate the fact that you get to be in the same space
as your students.
It’s a chance to look forward to the little things you’ve missed – like Socratic Seminars
or hands-on maker projects.
Restoration is a chance to return to normal but also a chance to redefine the new normal
and advocate for changes in the system based on things you learned this year.
Finally, there’s rehabilitation.
In this place, things feel truly broken.
You are truly hurting and need healing.
You might need to talk to a professional counselor and maybe even find a support group as you
process the year and move toward health.
It’s important that we recognize where we are in this continuum but that we also recognize
where our colleagues are as well.
We all need the permission to be in our own place in the journey of rest and recovery
after a hard year.