Inspiration and resources for balance before burnout

7 Colleagues Every Teacher Needs

Posted By Melissa

There’s a great article written by Lisa Earle McCLeod entitled 7 Friends Every Woman Needs.  In it she address the 7 types of friends that are a must in every woman’s repetoire of gal pals.  I love this article and everytime I read it I can go back through every one of my adult friendships and see the meaning and pupose in them.

In this month of building the Balance Reserve of Meaningful Connections, I suggest we reframe this and look for the variety of relationships we have at school.  Who are the 7 Colleagues Every Teacher Needs?  I’ve borrowed some of the titles, but let’s see how they fit in at school. Here’s the first:

1.  The in-the-trenches-with-you Colleague -

This person is usually right next door to your classroom.  They are extremely important when you can’t wait for your planning time to take a potty break, when you need a time-out for a student or yourself or just an ear to listen to your story at the end of the day. 

Teaching can be isolating, but strong bonds are formed by geography.  These are the colleagues who best know your daily routines.  They  witness your good days, and are the most likely to hear through the walls on your rough days and vice versa.  They tend to teach the same grade level as you and are an amazing resource to help alleviate re-inventing the wheel.

Do you need more crayons?  Have you run out of glue, or staples?  Need a great lesson for teaching Egypt?  These are the colleagues we turn to the most during our school day. 

My last year in the classroom I developed a very close relationship with the woman who taught next to me.  Every morning we shared a routine of relaxing music while we both checked emails.  We each sipped our coffee and reflected on the previous day, while getting ready for the present.  I made sure I was prepared for the next day the night before, so I could enjoy the morning "socializing".  I felt that "adult" time helped me set the stage for a day full of "children". 

Who are your in-the trenches-colleagues?  What do they add to your day?  Post a comment below.  Tune in in a few days for "The Wise One".

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