Veteran teacher's message to first-year teachers makes them cry
Most schools are in session with many starting within the past few weeks—just enough time for teachers to get to know their students a bit and for newer teachers to start getting a feel for their new profession. There is no shortage of information and anecdotal arguments that show teachers are often underpaid while simultaneously being overly stressed.
Teachers are responsible for so much in a day that could easily be classified as invisible labor. Not only do they need to have proper classroom management skills to manage 18+ personalities all in the same classroom, but they also need to look out for children that may be falling behind. Just that portion alone calls for close monitoring of behavior patterns, task completion, task accuracy and peer interaction. That requires a ton of mental energy.
And then there are the school policies, grading assignments, preparing for assessments, lunch duty, bus duty and more. Teachers have a ton of responsibilities while getting very little credit, so when a veteran teacher acknowledges the struggles new teachers face, it can be validating. A teacher that runs the account Honest Teacher Vibes on social media has made a slew of newbie teachers fall to pieces after she acknowledged that they have it hard starting out.
The teacher warns viewers that the video is specifically for first-year teachers but offers for others to stay around if they'd like to listen.
"Hey sugarfoot, how you doing? It's a lot. It's a lot. I know. You okay? It's okay to cry. It's okay to cry, okay? Just go ahead and cry if you need to cause it's stressful," the teacher starts the video aimed at teachers just entering the field of education.
@honestteachervibes Send this to a first year teacher. 💕 #teacher #teacherlife #teachersoftiktok #firstyearteacher #teachertired
Boy, was that permission needed because it opened up a floodgate of emotions for people. Teachers can be underappreciated by not only their administration but by the parents of the children they teach. Some parents of younger students may think that teachers simply play with children all day, not fully understanding that they are doing so much more.
On average teachers work 53 hours a week and about a quarter of that time is unpaid labor, while 66% admit their base salary is inadequate according to a survey conducted by RAND. This discrepancy in hours worked, low compensation and feelings of an unsupportive field contribute to teachers reaching career burnout and seeking employment in an unrelated sector.
a hand writing on a chalkboard
Photo by Antoinette Plessis on Unsplash
Ashley Woo, coauthor of the report and an assistant policy researcher at RAND says, “The survey shows that pay, hours worked and working conditions are interrelated, suggesting that pay increases alone—without improvements in working hours or conditions—are unlikely to bring about large shifts in teachers' well-being or intentions to leave the profession.”
Feeling supported and validated can make a big difference in people's outlook, so when the veteran teacher offers up her gentle video inviting teachers to feel their feelings, they took her up on the offer. Other veteran teachers lent advice and encouragement.
One woman shares her tears, "Fiirst year teacher here and I do in fact cry everyday."
An overwhelmed new teacher used the space to vent, "Whew baby, I didn't know what I signed up for. I'm also still confused on what I'm supposed to be doing."
Season 8 Teacher GIF by FriendsGiphy
"First year here, I'm not ok, I've cried so much, been working every evening after work and weekend but can never get caught up, thank you for this," one first-year teacher shares.
"Lord college did absolutely nothing to prepare me for this! Every time I feel like I got my footing under me they pull the rug out," another writes.
Teaching can be a lot, and even the veterans have to take a minute to compose themselves after a tough day, so the newbies aren't alone in their tears. It seems every teacher needed this message.
One veteran shares, "I see you!! year 32 here...It is A LOT!! I have already cried multiple times from frustration. We've got this! BUT FIRST we rest!!"
Im Out Exit Strategy GIF by truTVGiphy
Another veteran writes, "My 14th year and I still needed to hear this! Thank you!"
It seems it doesn't matter if you've been teaching for two weeks or 20 years, there's only so much you can do in a day and stress comes with the territory. While people work to make teaching contain more realistic expectations and fair compensation, the support of other educators and those who depend on teachers to teach their children can make a big difference. So if you haven't thanked a teacher yet, maybe think about slipping them a gift card to a local coffee shop or buying things from their Amazon Wish List for their classroom. Their job is hard enough and a little kindness can go a long way.
Summer Boismier drew attention in 2022 for covering part of her classroom bookshelf in red tape that bore the words “Books the state didn’t want you to read.”
Summer Boismier didn’t set out to be a teacher, and certainly not a “trouble-making” one. But over the past couple of years, as conservative states have enacted legislative restrictions on access to books in public schools, trouble making became an opportunity to take a stand. And take a stand, she did.
Boismier, who had been teaching English in Oklahoma for nearly a decade, drew national attention (and vitriol) back in 2022 for covering part of her classroom bookshelf in red tape that bore the words “Books the state didn’t want you to read.”
This was in response to her and other teachers in the English department being advised to restrict or remove student access to their classroom libraries, as to not violate Oklahoma’s new “divisive concepts” law, HB 1775. They received this warning mere days before the school year would begin.
Boismier also gave students a QR code link to the Brooklyn Public Library, which provides access to a variety of banned books. In an email interview with Upworthy, the 9-year teaching veteran said that though she knew there would be consequences, “it was important to me that my new students knew unequivocally where I stood on the state-sanctioned bigotry coming from the capitol.”
Cut to August of 2024, and Boismier got the retribution she had suspected might be coming for her. The Oklahoma State Board of Education (OSBE) voted unanimously to formally revoke her teaching license, stripping her livelihood. It’s worth noting that Boismier had already resigned from her original position in Oklahoma and began working at the Brooklyn Public library after receiving threats on social media.
And yet, this has not tempted Boismier to give up on her cause to fight censorship…a subject on which she does not mince words.
“Censorship makes the world smaller; it makes the world scarier. It teaches us to fear experiences and ideas different from our own. Censorship is a thief. It divides and conquers; it steals the possibility and opportunity that come from community, from what happens when we put our collective heads together.
Plus, censorship is just so darn tired. Empathy and understanding are far more interesting, far more worth fighting for because we already know where fear leads, but joy …?”
Repeatedly throughout our email conversation, Boismier states that her mission is “not about the books” themselves, but rather “the lives they reflect and represent and reify.” She has seen firsthand how students—especially those from LGBTQIA+ and/or BIPOC communities–are feeling the loss of stories “that speak to the fundamental parts of themselves,” and the empowerment those stories provide.
And this is why she continues advocating for them, license or no. She also encourages others to treat the situation not as a “red-state only” issue, but more of a “all-hands-on-deck five-alarm fire.”
"Ultimately, it’s not about the books, though. It’s about the lives they reflect and represent and reify, or as Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop describes, 'mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors.” —Summer BoismierPhotos courtesy of Summer Boismier
Boismier has made a handy list of organizations working to defend intellectual freedom that you can promote, including:
You can also download and share The Brooklyn Library’s media kit, which includes a flyer, a printable sticker sheet, the official Books Unbanned artwork, Brooklyn Public Library's logo and a QR code, here.
In addition, Boismier urges people to use public libraries, call legislators, attend and speak at school board meetings, correct mis- and disinformation and last, but certainly not least this election year…vote responsibly.
As she so eloquently put it: “It is up to us to keep the words, keep the faith…and keep it up.”