Dear Teacher with Mismatched Shoes,
Don't act like you haven't done it. One brown shoe, one black shoe, and it's too late to go home and make it right.
Don't sweat it. You're teaching in a global pandemic. Be kind to yourself. Try to remember in the spring you weren't even wearing a bra or real pants, which technically makes a pair of mismatched shoes one giant leap for mankind.
This is what my sister and I affectionately call, "celebrating the small things." If you haven't tried it yet, you should. It helps.
In case you have no idea what I am talking about, I'll help you out with a self-assessment. Don't misunderstand. This is not a self-assessment regarding your teaching practices, educational philosophies, or instructional methods. This is a self-assessment filled with practical questions that will help you determine if you are okay, if you're going to make it. Here goes.
1) Did you wear pants today?
2) Did those pants have a button?
3) Did you shower?
4) Do you smell bad?
5) Does your shirt have a four-day old pizza stain?
6) Did you drop your strawberries in the parking lot?
7) Did you leave your home today?
8) Did you have a conversation with an adult?
9) Did you eat a whole bag of caramels?
10) Did you watch an entire Netflix Series (32 episodes) without going to the bathroom once?
This list is a testament to the progress we've made since the spring shutdown. Granted, we still have a long way to go, but at least the highlight of our day is no longer a slow walk to the mailbox, a trip to Lowe's, or another disturbing episode of Tiger King. We can also see people now (well from the nose up anyway), and we have a reason to get up each morning. This is something. Actually, it's more than something. It's proof that we need each other if we're going to make it to the other side of this trauma.
So....let's be kind to one another, less judgy about who is not "okay," and celebrate another day of living to tell about it.
The daily grind has a way of making us forget we are literally living out history. There's really no way to know how the rest of the pages unfold, but I do know if you answered yes to any of the questions above, you are going to be okay.
If you answered no, you're also going to be okay.
And if you couldn't answer any of them or even make it to the end of this reading, you're still going to be okay.
These are things we know in our hearts, but it doesn't make it any easier to believe with our heads. That's where the caramels and Netflix come into play. They both go a long way in the healing process, so does forgiveness and that grungy t-shirt.
If you are not ready to hope for a better tomorrow just yet, that's okay too.
It's also okay to wear mimatched shoes. In fact, it's better than okay. People love you for it.
Most importantly, it's okay to give yourself permission to not be okay.
Okay?
-CDB