Permission to be Human—not Perfect

Fact: this new “normal” we are working and living under is not something we planned or have ever experienced. This goes for everyone.
Everyone. In. The. World.

Think about that for a minute and with compassion for yourself, parents, students, and Granite District administrators, know that the intention for everyone is to get through this chaos together by creating continued learning opportunities for our students.

GEA is hearing from many of our members who express that they are working harder and longer under the new distance-learning protocols than they did when they had the luxury of being in the classrooms and schools. Feeling as if they need to justify working from home, educators (and this includes teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, and all of Granite’s special educators) feel they need to be on-call for parents and students 24/7. Not so.
Remember, you have a professional agreement that outlines contract time. Utilize the guidelines and work the best you are able during the regular contract timeline and then, shut down! Allow yourself to have personal time for self-care and for your family. Parent and student emails will still receive a returned message within 24 hours, which means responses can wait until the following day. Create healthy boundaries.

Brené Brown, leading research psychologist and author of five books on vulnerability is a great resource for anyone needing to find the internal voice that say’s “I Am Enough”. Visit Brown’s website which has a blog and podcast which may be helpful if you are feeling vulnerable and need validation that your courage during this time of chaos does indeed begin with vulnerability. https://brenebrown.com/blog/

We are all on the right track. Why? Because the journey is unknown from here and any direction in which we move is the right one, for now. When Granite district administration requested that principals make a list of expectations of teachers, including showing proof of student work, daily check-ins, and lesson plans, here is how one Granite principal responded:

“My teachers are professionals each working hard in their own professional teaching styles to ensure students are given daily/weekly opportunities to continue to excel in their goals of achieving higher levels of learning.  I know their work ethic and they will be very conscientious in giving students the best education they can under the circumstances.”

GEA asks that all principals be like this one and trust the professionalism and hard work that all educators are giving to students. Hang in there – and remember to take care of yourself, and when in doubt, email or call your AdvoCats!

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