Our spirits are in desperate need of rest and encouragement. I truly hope you were able to refresh and renew over spring break.
It's easy to groan and drag ourselves out of bed as we head back into work. But I hope you come back to your classroom with a spring in your step and remembering that your fellow teachers are feeling a similar longing for the pace of their vacations and the comfort of their homes.
It doesn't matter where you teach, you can address these needs of your fellow teachers. You can be the welcome mat that makes work feel more like home. Remember birthdays, pay attention to what is going on in their home lives, and visit their classrooms once in awhile and comment on something positive they do with their students. Focus on one another's strengths. Appreciate one another's talents. And finally, show compassion to those who may not be the best that they can be just yet.
The soul of a teacher is intimately connected to the school in which it operates. We all desire connectedness. Reach out to one another in love. Remember the saying "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Consider this then - if the teacher ain't (isn't) happy, ain't no student happy." We may receive the initial benefit of encouragement but its impact reaches out to our students. The welcome mat can set the tone for the entire home, the entire classroom, the entire school, perhaps the entire community.
