I know we’ve all heard it time and time again. ” I can’t believe this year is already over.” It really is hard to believe that a whole school year has gone by. A year of sharpening pencils, passing out papers, grading papers, saying “I’ll wait,” and of course, learning and growing.
It can be hard to believe that a whole year of school has gone by, because truly so much happens in a year of school. I believe strongly in the teacher cycle, as Ellen Moir from the New Teacher Center calls it. I am sure many of us are familiar with it. It’s a mental cycle that first year teachers go through. Ellen Moir identifies each stage as the attitude that first year teachers feel towards teaching at different points in the year.
I would argue however, that this cycle isn’t just true for first year teachers. I’m finishing up my sixth year of teaching and find I still relate to this cycle. I do notice that every year my cycle changes slightly. Sometimes one stage lasts much longer, or shorter than the previous year.
This year my survival phase was the longest. For a couple of reasons. I took on a lot this year! Not only was I teaching full time, but I also started my TPT business, teacher instagram, and blog. Additionally, I have a side job as a property manager to help pay the bills. The first few months of school felt like I was in survival mode, but also extremely motivated. That was my favorite part of starting my TPT store this year. I felt like it kept me motivated to keep creating, learning, and growing as an educator.
I entered the disillusionment stage around February, which is pretty typical for me. February always feels like the longest month. It’s long enough after winter break that the refreshment of vacation is gone. In February we usually have no days off. Spring break (which for me is always in April) still feels so far away. So I trudged my way through February week by week, doing the best I could to be creative in the classroom to try and spice up my teaching life.
Then in March, things changed. I broke my ankle and needed surgery! It was an accident that took me completely by surprise. Suddenly, there I was in the hospital calculating how many days I would need to take off, and how in the world I would teach a group of 20 energetic six year olds while on crutches.
After a week in bed, I was BEYOND ready to be doing anything else. It made me genuinely excited to be going back to work! The boredom of bed rest combined with all the sweet cards my students made for me while I was in the hospital were plenty to get me excited to be back in the classroom. I showed up on my crutches, sat on the floor with my leg elevated, and that’s how I taught for the next 5 weeks.
As you can imagine, teaching from the floor for 5 weeks was the definition of survival stage. Every day I had to remind myself that I was doing the best I could. It became about getting through the days, helping my students as much as possible, while still taking care of myself. Things got pretty dull in those weeks. Teaching from the floor was frustrating and depressing. So I hung in the survival stage for about 6 weeks, just waiting for spring break.
Spring break came and went. I spent the whole month of May on crutches, but at least I was more mobile. I could now teach from a chair, and get up and move around on my crutches a bit more. Still, May was about surviving. As I watched teachers in the states talk about their last few weeks of school, I still had almost two full months of school left. July 7th was feeling really far away! Survival mode.
Finally June rolled around. I started walking. There were only 5 weeks of school left. I felt like a brand new teacher. I was grateful for all those little things I couldn’t do before. Writing on the whiteboard, organizing my classroom library, walking to lunch with my kids. There it was, the rejuvenation stage. The rest of the year ended well. I was motivated and enjoyed my time with my kids.
Now here I am, reflecting on the year, thinking about how different each year teaching can be. In many ways, this year felt like my best year that I have had teaching. But I also recognize that I had the most personal challenges out of all my teaching years. I am taking a lot of lessons forward with me from this past year.
The first, every year the teaching gets easier. Teaching will always be hard, but you will adjust. Your attitude towards teaching will become one of acceptance, rather than frustration. That’s not to say you won’t experience frustration at all, but you will get used to the natural ebb and flow of teaching. You find your rhythm as a teacher; it gets easier.
Second, you can’t create the perfect classroom, or the perfect year. I felt like I had set up so many things to have the perfect year, but too many things out of my control happened. Set yourself up for success, but remember that success is about adapting, not always sticking with plan A.
Lastly, you will without a doubt experience the teacher cycle each year. Some years certain stages will feel endless. Some years they will pass by quickly. There are so many things out of your control during your school year, but here are a few things you can control that can make a big difference.
- Find a school you love. This means you align with their values and mission.
- Choose a school with a supportive administration, the ones who really get it.
- Surround yourself with amazing coworkers. The ones who are more than coworkers, they are true friends.
- Don’t settle for less than you want. Take your time to find the right fit for you, it makes all the difference.
Those are just some of my end of year reflections from this year. I am going to be taking a well deserved rest this summer so that I can come back in August ready for the anticipation of the new year! Enjoy your summer maestros!