One Chapter at a Time

May 19, 2024

Relieved. Happy. Discouraged. Exhausted. These were some of the adjectives teachers mentioned when asked how they were feeling about the school year ending. Although the responses varied, all teachers agreed – they were ready to have some closure with their students.

Around this time of year I think of a teacher friend of mine who describes her years in education as a series of chapters. Because she tends to obsess over her perceived failures, and what she wishes she would have accomplished with her kids, the life-is-like-a-book simile helps her compartmentalize experiences and move on. I love this idea. Each year, one chapter ends, and another begins.

Teachers, no matter how this school year unfolded, remember, it’s just one chapter. It’s not the whole book. And the good news is that you hold the pen determining how this chapter will come to a close. So, do your best to stay positive and finish out this section of the narrative strong. Of course, my hope is that there is a very happy ending in store for all.

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