Ms Hanley is one of my younger colleague. A Social Science teacher. Who is in the middle of a transition from one career to another. She is a teacher -lawyer. She is making this change while teaching FULL time.
WOW!
A mother, a Teacher, A professional, A daughter and a friend. I can only imagine the persona the sacrifice, the effort, the commitment the joys and the all most. Yesterday when we spoke about how awesome she was doing, she said, Ms Charles when you see me winning in one area I am failing in a next one. Sometimes being an excellence teacher means I have to be an average student in the same week while mothering. It’s like the circus act of the juggler to keep all these balls in the air at the same time require a skill that is depleting and replenishing simultaneously . Some times I win and sometimes I fail in the same day.
Then we watch from the outside, and imagine and act as if a teacher should not be allowed to transition in grace. Not the Jesus GRACE from easter. But our grace as a fraternity. Our grace as a community of professionals.
It is in our grace we extend to each that allows us to walk these corridors and school halls and aspire for more than teaching in classroom. It is the grace we extend to each other that permits us to become educational specialist and use the educational knowledge to pivot into other areas of the economy and add value and continue teaching.
I am a teacher but I want to be more. This self exploration should be encouraged.
The grace we give then becomes, less judgement, more support, and access to opportunities. Students are allowed to graduate and teachers should be allowed to graduate from the profession with the same amount of validation, and active care for their efforts to grow.
So, I salute you Ms Hanley I am certain this is only the continuation of more greatness.
Best to you!!
