When It's Time To Walk Away

**This article was originally posted by another blog that is now shut down. Since this is my story, I'm reposting it here in conjunction with Dysautonomia Awareness Month. Check out Dysautonomia International for more information.**

I knocked on the door of my principal’s office.

”Can I talk to you about something?”

A long road had led to this day. 10 months prior, I had blacked out while getting ready for school. The blackouts continued and led to a diagnosis of dysautonomia. The school had lightened my workload some, and I was determined I wouldn’t let this diagnosis get in the way of my passion: teaching.

Then I got pregnant.

7 months pregnant with mild preeclampsia on top of my other issues had brought me here.

“I… I think I’m going to have to leave teaching.”

My principal nodded sympathetically. He knew I had been trying to fight through all these things.

I just remember that terrible gut feeling. I was a QUITTER. Something I loathed.

It was hard to tell my favorite co-workers. The next week, I went into the hospital and I never had the chance to tell my students goodbye. It felt like a horrible ending to the career I love.

A year and a half after that day, my perspective on the situation has changed. I was wrong, I’m not a quitter. I’ll be back. But right now, taking care of my health (and now, my toddler) is the first priority.

There are many reasons you may have to step away from your passion for a while. And that’s ok. Here are some thoughts I have had over my time away for teachers temporarily out of teaching. Maybe they’ll help you too.

You remember it's not forever.

Repeat after me. It’s not forever.

I choked up going into my classroom over a weekend and removing my posters, books, and supplies. It was difficult, but I could keep reminding myself. This is temporary. I’ll be back. And I’ll be a better teacher when I do.

I filtered through my materials and tossed what couldn’t be used in a few years and carefully packed the rest.

We push for a “growth mindset” in our students, and we should be willing to do the same for ourselves. When things aren’t going as we hoped, we don’t despair. We don’t throw in the towel. We learn from it, and push ourselves to grow.

You keep your skills sharp.

While the internet has brought us the strangest things (I’m looking at you, Yanny and Laurel), it has brought along with us a host of opportunities for professional development. On the days that I miss the classroom, there are some tools I use to keep my skills sharp.

            Podcasts

There are so many good educational podcasts out there. My personal favorite is The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast. Check out the channel TEDTalks Education as well.  If you were a social studies teacher, you may find that Revisionist History or Ridiculous History can expand upon your knowledge in your field. If you are new to the podcast world, apps like iTunes (Apple users) or Stitcher (Andriod users) are great places to start searching.

            iTunes University

If you have an iTunes account, open “iTunes University” on your menu. There you’ll find a host of free audio and video lectures from universities around the country. Browse for education courses or courses specific to your field. I found a host of lectures related to my field from the University of Missouri that gave me some great insight that I will carry into my next season of teaching.

            Local Competition

I was a public speaking/debate/drama teacher, all areas that had ties to competition. I had a friend drop my name to a board of a regional competition, and I was in! A few times a year I judge elementary and middle school students competitions. I love being around the students, other professionals, and dipping my toe back into what I love. If you were a science teacher, consider finding out what fairs are around.

Look for a way to make a difference outside of the classroom.

I think you could ask any teacher for a list of things they love about their profession. Almost always, you’ll get some form of “I love making a difference.” No one can deny the incredible impact you get to witness as an educator, and that feeling is definitely missed while you are out of the field. Even if you aren’t in the classroom every day, there are some things you can do to make an impression. 

TeachersPayTeachers

My disability has made me homebound for patches of time, so this one is definitely my favorite. When I left teaching, I shined up my original activities and classroom games and opened a store on TeachersPayTeachers. Facebook also has very supportive groups open to teachers that are using the platform. Not only have I enjoyed getting my products out there, I feel like I am helping other teachers across the country.

            Tutoring

In the past, I’ve used WyzAnt to find local students looking for help but be prepared for the site to take a nice chunk for user fees. You can also find students looking for extra help on local neighborhood Facebook sites. It might be proactive to put out an ad around the time of midterms for those parents looking for help after a disappointing report card.

            Volunteering

Leaving teaching was difficult because I loved “my kids.” I taught high school students and greatly enjoyed their humor and thoughtfulness. Getting plugged in with the youth group at my local church was such a balm to my soul after that loss. You could also talk to your local Boys and Girls Club to find out if there are kids in need of mentoring.

It’s hard to put into words how it feels to walk away from something you love, even if it’s temporary. A strong mindset and a commitment to moving forward can be your greatest asset in a difficult season of life. Keep your head up and move forward- the best is yet to come.

Are you thinking of leaving teaching? Comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

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Teaching Introductions and Conclusions in a way that WORKS

I'm telling you, it might have been the most painful experience of my life.

No, not talking about my kidney stone or torn MCL. I'm talking that cringy-type, can't-look-but-can't-look-away pain.

He didn't know how to end it.

I was at my best friend's wedding, sitting at the table for the wedding party, and trying to listen to the best man's speech.

"Well, uh, I, uh, didn't remember I had to do this."

I winced slightly. It got worse.

"But here's a story about my brother." He rambled through a very strange story about the groom. It was odd. And it kept going, even though somehow the story was also over.

And kept going. And going.

Eventually, he just mumbled a few lines and put down the microphone and the audience breathed a silent sigh of relief.

It is painful for a speaker who doesn't know how to start and finish a speech, but it might be even more painful for your audience.

How can we teach our students good introductions and conclusions when speaking?

1. Think about a plane. (tell them the WHY!)

This is my FAVORITE illustration for the importance of introductions and conclusions. Would you enjoy a plane ride that jerked and bulleted into the air for take-off and shot back down to earth for the landing? Doubtful. Most of us would be terrified of flying for years.

Why do we rocket into the topic of our speech (with no understanding of the speaker's connection to the topic or the importance of it) and end abruptly with no call or action or helpful wrap-up? That smooth take-off and gentle landing add so much to the pleasure of a plane ride. Even if your information is SOLID, your introduction and conclusion add SO much to the overall message of the speech!

2. Show them what goes into a good introduction and conclusion.

After walking through illustrations on the importance of a good introduction and conclusion, you may have students nodding their heads in agreement. They may align with your opinion on it, but do they know what makes a good intro and how to structure a good, solid introduction? Can they put together a call of action for a satisfying conclusion

Your students need ideas for that good lift-off! They need examples! They need guidance! How can you provide that for them?

3. Get them started. (How)

Give your students a runway. Start laying the groundwork and let them bounce ideas off of you and their peers. Give them ideas on how to craft attention-grabbing statements and explain how to find the information they'll need. Discuss definitive statements and then have students chime in with their own examples. Have them read and write examples and exchange ideas. Make sure they're grasping it!

There's a worksheet included in one of my TeachersPayTeachers resources that I use to walk students through the process of building introductions and conclusions. Students need to see the pieces that go into a good introduction and conclusion and how to put it together for themselves.

Tell me below, what else should students know about writing and speaking introductions and conclusions? Do you think I missed any important elements?

If you want more guidance on this topic, check out my Introductions and Conclusions in Public Speaking resource!

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Personal Narrative Disguised

Have you ever introduced a topic to your class and watched the eye rolls?

"Ugh, I'm never going to use this! I'm going to be a ________." (Fill-in-the-blank career that they probably WILL need this for, but I digress.) "This is so boring!" "But are we going to do anything fun today?"

I'm discovering that maybe, sometimes, it's ok to disguise my goals. Just a little.

We could just do the math drills the class needs. OR we could do an "escape room" where students must solve enough equations to unlock the door before the zombies break in!

Both methods address a classroom need, but one (though slightly disguised) is more likely to produce eagerness and excitement for the learning process.

Think through it. What task do your students hate? Is there a way to make it a game/activity? 

There are ENDLESS basic games on TeachersPayTeachers on Pinterest: trash can basketball, escape rooms, relay races. They can be used for any subject and can transform "boring" and "unengaging" into a fabulous learning experience without sacrificing content!

Here's my own "disguise the lesson" story. My students always struggled with personal narrative. I've heard "but I don't have any good stories," "nothing exciting happens to me," etc. It finally dawned on me that these same kids tell stories CONSTANTLY... on social media! Was there a way to combine what they were already doing with personal narrative?

I decided to give it a try and the result was my Personal Narrative in Social Media activity. This is a great introduction or anticipatory set to a personal narrative/experience writing or speaking unit. Remind your kids they are already telling stories- we are just going to get better at it!

What "disguises" have you tried with your students? Did it work? Comment below!!

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