By Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden
Teaching is meaningful, important, and filled with joys both big and small that your friends who work in corporate finance would never understand. But also, let’s face it, there are days where you could use an extra pep talk (or twenty). That’s where our book Tiny Pep Talks for Teachers: Bite-Size Encouragement for the Classroom comes in.
We thought we would share a few of the 80+ pep talks we wrote—small moments of reassurance and support that are designed to help teachers get through the highs, lows, and in-betweens of life in the classroom. The book isn’t a pedagogy guide, and it is not going to count toward your professional development hours. But it certainly is here to give you a little extra boost during those pesky everyday frustrations.
We hope these tiny pep talks help you through your day, week, month. And remember, summer vacation is just around the corner, so hang in there!
For When You Just Saw a Student Out in Public
Seeing a student out in public is universally awkward. It’s awkward for your student who didn’t realize that you exist outside the classroom walls. It’s awkward for the strangers walking by who have to witness the interaction. And of course, it’s awkward for you, the person who didn’t plan to have a spontaneous parent-teacher conference in the middle of Costco, all while trying to distract them from your cart filled to the brim with discount booze and cheap cigarettes. (Just kidding, you’re probably buying a pallet of seltzer water and paper towels like everyone is, all of the time.)
Anyone would be excited to see you—we know we would be!—but it’s not rude to keep it brief. Say hi, crack a joke or two about homework (may we suggest something like “Don’t you have homework you should be doing?” but feel free to put your own spin on it!), and get out of there.
After all, those free Costco samples aren’t going to eat themselves.
For When You’re Just Not in the Mood to Teach Today
Some days you’re like Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World combined with Miss Honey from Matilda mixed with a dash of Mr. Keating from Dead Poets Society—but with a lot more heart and a little less standing on the furniture. (At least as far as anyone in admin knows.)
But then there are other days where it feels like it takes everything you have just to make it through class.
Unfortunately, today is one of the other days.
Maybe your personal life is front of mind. Or maybe you would just rather be literally anywhere else on Earth instead of watching a bunch of students do the Oompa Loompa or whatever the hot new social media trend is whenever you’re reading this (we really, really hope it’s Oompa Loompa-ing). Whatever the reason, give yourself a break. You don’t have to be your best every single day, regardless of what the cheesy inspirational posters in the hallway say.
Teaching isn’t going to be all breakthrough moments and revelations and standing ovations from students. Some days are just going to be about getting to the bell.
You can love your job without wanting to be there all the time, just like you can love your students while still occasionally wishing they’d all take a collective sick day at the exact same time. It’s human nature to need a break from your job, even a job that’s at the core of everything you do. Heck, even villainous billionaires don’t feel like poisoning the town’s water supply and shutting down hospitals every day. Off days are unavoidable in every line of work!
Whatever you need to get through the day—short of pulling the fire alarm, running to your car, and never looking back—we support you.
For When You’re Shelling Out Another $200 for Your Own Supplies
There’s no way to sugarcoat it: It is horrifically unfair that you have to pay for your own school supplies. Your friend who seemingly does spreadsheets and happy hours for a living has an entire office supply closet they can raid, yet here you are, educating the future leaders of the world with nothing but worn-down pencil nubs.
If we were in charge of everything, you’d have an endless budget for all the supplies you need, plus a pressurized hose of ice-cold Diet Coke and a piggyback ride to and from school every day from the Hollywood hunk of your choice. (On the other hand, if we were in charge of everything, we’d also make it illegal to ever hurt our feelings, even a little bit, so maybe it’s for the best that we’re not.)
This won’t soften the blow to your bank account, but it still should be said: Your students are so incredibly lucky to have you. And this is just more proof of that.
It’s not just because you’re spending your hard-earned money on them. It’s because you’re the kind of teacher who is going to do whatever it takes for your students to succeed.
Today that means digging deep into your pockets and googling “Do any stores have a ‘free glue sticks’ section in the back?” But on other days, that same outlook is what leads to you challenging your students, cheering them on, and showing up for them, even when it feels nearly impossible to show up for yourself.
You’re making school a better place for your students. And you can’t put a price on that—although $200 is a pretty good start.
Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden are Chicago-based writers, comedians, co-authors of Tiny Pep Talks: Bite-Size Encouragement for Life’s Annoying, Stressful, and Flat-Out Lousy Moments, co-creators of the conversation game No Wrong Answers, and co-hosts of Being Earnest (A Very Sincere Podcast).