Alive (on Monday)

Dear Teacher,

Another Monday.  Another week.  Are you ready?  Are you pumped?  Are you beat-up?  Are you dragging?  Are you somewhere in between?

Let’s see if there is a theme song that will cover wherever you may be on the spectrum.  Click play and read on!

It’s Monday.  That could mean a lot of things to you.

If you are in the “up” side of the teaching roller-coaster, you are excited, amped up, and ready to go.

If you are in the “down” of the teaching ride, you are tired, worn-out, and scrambling to make sure that you have it all together.

If you are at the “top” of the hill, you have been up early just chomping at the bit to get back to school and your students today.

If you are at the “bottom” of the hill, you have probably slept in and wondering if you have enough sick days to cash one in today.

No matter where you are…which is probably somewhere between one of the stages listed…you are a teacher.  Remember what that means!

You get to do what no one else gets to do, and you are good at it (no matter what anyone says)!

• You get to teach!  
• You get to help students learn about the world!  
• You get to see the “aha” moments.  
• You get to see students learn.  
• You get to see them learn how to learn for themselves and by themselves.  
• You get to see students become better readers.  
• You get to see them become better writers.  
• You get to see them become better people.  
• You get to see them become the better people that will better the world and better the future.

You get to do what no one else gets to do!  You are a teacher!  You teach!  And you are good at it!

Teacher, look up!  You are alive!  You are a teacher!  Teach like you mean it today!

Shake off those things that bring you down.  Shrug off what people say that doesn’t line up with what you know about your students and yourself.  Learn from reflections and observations, and let those things make you better.

Focus on the students, focus on the students, focus on your students!  (I can’t say that enough!)  Be encouraged by something…find the positive in the things that want to drag you down.  Find what is great about every student, and try to bring it out!

Look around at the great teachers around you and remember you are a champion among champions!  Teach what the students need you to teach.  Teach in a way that students can learn and learn for themselves.

Be alive today.

• Smile more.
• Give high-fives.
• Spread encouragement to others.
• Breathe.
• Let today be awesome.
• Let this week be awesome.
• Be awesome.

You are awesome!

This is your week.

Make this week yours.

You are amazing!

Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher