ReInspired

As teachers we are naturally hopeful human beings (it is the only way we survive the deadly pit known as the CLASSROOM!) However, as human beings we are prone to moments (which sometimes turn into periods) of intense and unforgiving self-loathing. Like an adolescent teenager we look in our teaching mirror and hate what we see. We punish ourselves both privately behind the closed doors of our classrooms and publicly while eating lunch with our teacher friends. We never feel good enough because we can't seem to save them all no matter how hard we try.

But then there is a moment. A look, a word, a note, a drawing, a smile. Just like that we are reinspired. Now as I am typing I see that a red line has popped up under the word reinspired so either I am spelling it wrong, (which would not be a surprise to those who know me) or it is not a recognized word........yet! But I believe in it today because that is how I feel. Today I am reinspired because I sat with a group of competent and caring teachers to talk about teaching. About getting back to the core reasons most of us got into the profession in the first place. To remember that self-loathing is a selfish act that steals our energy leaving us less able to inspire those who need it the most.