Caring without carrying it all alone

As summer draws to a close, teachers are preparing classrooms, planning lessons and getting ready to welcome students back for a new school year. Teachers return to work carrying their own hopes, concerns and responsibilities. And like everyone else, they are stepping into a world that can sometimes feel too demanding and fast-moving. 

Across Alberta, conversations are happening around kitchen tables, in coffee shops, on social media and in staff rooms about many important topics, such as the upcoming referendum questions, ATA Provincial Executive Council elections and provincial elections. Even as public attention and debate center on the referendum and the question of separation, Albertans also need to think about broader questions of how our province is governed and how citizens participate in democratic decision making. Some of these questions hit close to home for teachers in Alberta’s public education system.

September was always such an exciting time for me as a teacher, but I was also anxious to get into the routine of the year. However, there were also times when the political environment or other external factors created challenges. When this happens, we need to remember the supports and supporters around us.

Teaching is, at its heart, an act of service.

Teachers care so deeply about their students that they can begin to carry burdens that were never meant to be carried alone. When a child is struggling academically, emotionally, socially or personally, teachers want to help. When teachers see that a new curriculum may not be the best it could be for students, they want to help. When decisions are being made that teachers believe will affect our students and our profession, they want to speak up.

This desire comes from the best part of the profession. Teaching is, at its heart, an act of service. I know I spent many sleepless nights wondering about the welfare of my students and their futures.

The truth is that teachers play an extraordinary role in young people’s lives, and fortunately teachers are not the only people who care. Parents care deeply. Faith communities care deeply. Coaches, mentors, youth leaders and countless community organizations care deeply. Our goal should be to share the burden when we think about the education and advocacy work that needs to be done. 

Recognizing our limits is not indifference. The work of teaching is so important that we must find ways to sustain ourselves for the long journey ahead. Advocacy does not have to consume us, and caring does not require us to carry everything on our own. Healthy communities understand that raising children has always been a collaborative effort and our advocacy work should be collaborative as well.

As a new school year begins, teachers should remember that the measure of our commitment is not how much we exhaust ourselves, but how effectively we serve over time. Students need teachers who are engaged, hopeful and energized for the year ahead. They also need teachers who care enough to take care of themselves. 

There is a lot on our minds. There always will be. But we do not have to carry it all alone, and that is not a sign that we care less. Rather, it is a sign that we understand the importance of caring well. 

I welcome your comments. Contact me at kristine.wilkinson@ata.ab.ca.