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".

The irony is that at this moment my reality is anything but silent.  The fan on the stove is now set to hyper boost as I bake cupcakes for my youngest who turned 9 today to bring to school tomorrow.  I am trying to clear out a house full of smoke from the fire caused from drippings of the flan I baked earlier with my older son for his Spanish class .  "La comida esta en fuego!"

The dishwasher is humming with it’s second load of dishes from the family party we had last night.  And in the midst of this, I am attempting to write about the importance of finding a "piece of quiet" when the post I am working on disappears into thin air.  It is at this point when the little voice of my inner critic begins asking me "Who do you think you are?" as I attempt to finish the work I had planned for my own business this"quiet" evening (and check the oven once more for flames).  It’s funny how I have no problem hearing him over the roar of kitchen appliances.

I could listen to this voice.  I am tired and beat from a weekend of "busyness", but I know exactly why I am the person to do this job.  I know why I have worked so hard to make The Whole Teacher a reality.  I know how much time teachers put into their work. I know how hard it is to do it all.  I know first hand how our best laid plans often fall to the wayside (or up in flames).  I know how we often put ourselves last on our list, and I know how much we crave a group of like-minded people to support us as we try to be the best for our students. 

Therefore I choose to look at the lesson and try to find the humor in the situation.  There are many parts of life we can’t control, but it’s only what we make of it.  We all have this inner critic’s voice inside of us.  The stressors are inevitable, but we must build our resilience by taking care of ourselves and building reserves of what we need most.  Right now I need to finish my baking, close up the windows, and head upstairs to a quiet candle-lit bedroom (better yet let’s forget the candle) and follow my own advice for silence.  Who knows what inspiration will come when I take the time to listen?