This was the year in which she had the most challenging class of her career, and every day became a struggle for her. I only had her kiddos for 30 minutes a week, and that was enough to make me exhausted. I could only imagine what her days must be like. I felt for her as I too had “been there” with an unruly class that drained me to the core. I wanted to help, but I was not sure how.
One day I walked in her room and said that I could take her kids to the computer lab for an extra 30 minutes. She looked at me with bewildered yet grateful eyes, and simply whispered, “Thank you.” I felt like I had handed her a winning lottery ticket! We scheduled a time that would work for everyone, and I left 22 kindergarteners romping all over the room and clamoring to tattle about the injustice that they had recently endured at the hands of a classmate.
Something had shifted in me prior to this experience, and I sought out ways to support my fellow teachers. Whether it was fixing an emergency cup of coffee to console a colleague who had been up crying all night because her husband left, or it was taking a teacher’s class who had to pick up a sick child, my heart wanted to help these battle-weary souls. Being in the trenches of education can be difficult enough as more and more demands are piled upon overworked and underpaid teachers. However, when life takes unexpected turns, the pressure can tip the scales, and it can all be too overwhelming at times.
I became a teacher because I love working with children. Now I get the opportunity to help them even more by providing resources for the brave and selfless individuals who serve them. I help teachers create lessons so that they can have extra time to enjoy life a bit more.