Strong, a force of nature, intense, aggressive, angry, giving, caring, empathetic, fierce, powerhouse, boss, game changer, shifter, gracious, warm, nice, welcoming, passionate, helpful, direct, intentional, approachable, unapproachable, fair, consistent, a presence, resourceful, resilient. To have been called all of those things at one time or another must mean that I am resilient. Maybe I have been all of those things, some of those things, or just a few of those things. It is interesting to think about the many words that have been used to describe me throughout my years as an educator. I struggled with the name of the blog, a sort of tag line for me, that would encapsulate the bulk of my varied characteristics. Honestly, I think that these attributes are fairly accurate. I listed them in no particular order because I don’t believe that any one of them has been more prevalent, had more of an impact, or simply just given another individual a word to label me for themselves or “explain” me to others. I’ve landed on resilient for my purpose here because my experiences to date would best categorize me as such. As an educator who has been fortunate to serve in a variety of contexts, interfaced with a plethora of stakeholders, it is fair to say that I have been, as the Cambridge Dictionary defines it, “able to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened; able to improve quickly after being hurt or ill; able to return quickly to a previous good condition after problems.”
The Resilient Educator is…
one who seeks to rise with and through her experiences in order to achieve a higher calling.
one who anticipates the hard stuff and moves forward with a focused flow.
one who practices gratitude for even the most difficult circumstances and repurposes them as learning opportunities.
one who struggles with imposter syndrome and still comes out on the other side.
one who feels the fear and does it while still afraid.
one who is the biggest cheerleader for everyone but herself at times.
one who seeks to thrive, not just survive.
one who is dedicated, passionate, and ready.
The Resilient Educator is me.
The Resilient Educator is you.
In this blog, I will share examples of resilience in my work and life. I may share examples of resilience from others. I may write about topics that have little to nothing to do with resilience! Honestly, I’m not sure where this will go. But if you are a resilient educator like me, you’ll be alright!
Choose Your Energy
If you have lived any length of time, you have had something happen to you that you did not cause, did not want, or did not anticipate. If you have lived any length of time you have enjoyed many successes, happiness, and joy due to your actions and efforts or as a result of those…
We Are All Doing the Best We Can. Enough.
When will it be enough? When will all the efforts we make to do the best — no, more than our best — be enough? Is enough even something to aspire to? Is enough even possible? Who determines what enough is? Yes, we know when we have had enough food to eat. We often know when we’ve had enough…
“Your hair is SO beautiful!!” Yes it is, but have you seen my work?
This skin I’m in; this hair I wear; the style in my dress; my words so sage always feeling like I’m on stage; But have you heard my heart, my passion for this work? Have you seen me in the morning greeting students and families at the door? Have you seen me take a walk with…
The Resilient Educator 