Message from Lindsay: Hi everybody! Thanks for tuning into my second weekly note. I hope to use this platform to encourage you and pass along helpful teaching ideas. This week’s note offers a few more tidbits about me as a person/teacher/professional (I promise to stop yackin’ about myself so much next week). You are receiving this in email form because you opted in via lindsaykveitch.com, joined my launch team, or bought a copy of The Write Structure. Please don't worry about hurting my feelings; you can scroll to the bottom of this email to unsubscribe at any time.
Another message from Lindsay (re: the topic of this post): no offense to working dads or working pet parents or anyone else for that matter. Peace and love, my friends.
I became a working mama a little under five years ago. I started the school year extremely pregnant, and as my due date closed in, I became an official crazy person (True story: I went to the hospital thinking I was in labor, not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES, only to endure 36 hours of labor 10 days after my due date — my crazy was justified, okay?). Little did I know that those days were a prelude to what would become a great, big, crazy challenge: the balancing act of teaching students and raising babies.
If you are a working mama — with little babies who still nurse or big kids who are sassy — I genuinely hope you are thriving. I hope you find yourself wonderfully exhausted at the end of each school day. I hope your heart is full as you head out your classroom door to scoop up your cherubs and smooch their faces. I hope you are fulfilled and joyous in all of your roles.
The truth is, I struggled to thrive as a full-time teacher and full-time mama. Even though I have the world’s most helpful husband, a supportive principal, and a very kind teaching team, it was hard for me to raise little babies and teach a bunch of big kids. I took a look at my options and made a difficult decision. That decision was to put my work as a full-time teacher on hold for a couple of years. And since you’re subscribed to my weekly note, you should know what I’m up to these days.
I am still a teacher, only right now, that looks, well… a little different. I write this to you not from my classroom but from my home office. Changing lanes has given me a different vantage point and inspired new learning. In this season of life, my working mama gig consists of writing, adjuncting, and consulting. Next week, a gaggle of pre-service teachers are depending on me to show them how to teach literacy in their content areas. Talk about a legitimate case of back to school jitters.
Your school year is either under way or nearing its start. I want to encourage anyone who's a working mama, those of you who get all nervous-excited with each new year, or really anyone who needs a kind word. It’s tough work to teach kids all day and keep your home afloat, yourself sane, and channel positive vibes through it all. It seems extra important for educators to surround each other and lift one another up. Grab a colleague right now and laugh or hug or even shed a tear because you miss your kids or need a friend. Finally, a suggestion to those of you who had someone come to mind as you read this: how can you support this human? Bring in a coffee, offer that hug, ask about his/her family.
Life is made so much better when we care for one another. Go, care for each other.
Joy & cheer,
Lindsay