I Wish They Knew…
When I wrote Kids Deserve It, I didn’t expect the chapter “I Wish You Knew” to resonate as deeply as it did with so many people.
Since publishing that book over 3 years ago I’ve begun to reflect more and more on other things I wish people knew and there were two that came to my mind that I shared out on social media.
The first was this…I wish you knew I lose sleep over the the students I work with.
If you’ve been in education for any amount of time, you might be able to connect. There are so many things that educators take in than just the curriculum. Some of our students come to us with so much pain and heartache we can’t even stand it. They deal with abuse, neglect, abandonment, loss, hunger, mental health issues going un-dealt with, and so much more. And for some of us, we lose sleep worrying about them as if they’re our own children.
But wanna know what else I wish you knew? Coming from an administrators perspective…
I wish you knew that in addition to losing sleep over students, I also lose sleep over the teachers and staff that I work with.
As an administrator who seeks to get to know those I work around, I quickly learn about financial hardships, breakups, death in the family, sickness, worries about finances, anxiety, depression, and so much more. And I care so deeply about each and every person that I work with that there are many nights I lose sleep wishing I could do more.
I hear and see the struggles and tears from adults who give their all. Adults who show up even when their personal lives are falling apart. Adults who pour every ounce of themselves into their students even when the state, school board, or superintendent don’t see it. Adults who care so deeply for their students they cry in my office because of their empathy.
And some nights I lose sleep wondering if I did enough. Did I forget to check in on someone? Did I pay close enough attention when they were talking? Does someone on campus feel left out because of something I’ve done? I lose sleep wondering how to best uplift them. I lose sleep wondering how to continually make them feel worthy. I lose sleep over hoping I’m not missing a need or forgetting someone.
As educators we pour everything we have into our jobs. And that means sometimes losing sleep worrying about the kids or staff we work with. I wish you knew…
