02/05/2026
Heyyyyyyy! Is anyone else feeling a little in over their head this year? I love my school. I love my students. I love my coworkers. And this year has been a LOT. It took me longer than Iād like to admit to remember that all of those things can exist at the same time.
One of my biggest struggles is holding myself to unrealistic, unreasonable standards. I built my platform and my nonprofit around mental health in education. I talk openly about the hard stuff. I normalize messy emotions. I truly believe that connection, to ourselves and to others, is at the root of everything.
And hereās the part Iām struggling to say out loud.
Iāve found so much purpose and joy in building this community, and this school year Iāve had almost no energy left for Instagram, event planning, or connection. Not because I donāt care, but because Iāve been coping.
TeacherFest25 was one of the hardest and most rewarding things Iāve ever done. I know TeacherFest26 will be even bigger and even more meaningful. But lately whatās been missing is the energy, the time, and the connection. And in my perfectionist brain, that feels unacceptable.
If this were anyone else, Iād say you need connection with peers. But when itās me, that message doesnāt land. Instead, my nervous system chose to isolate, hibernate, and reevaluate.
So Iām practicing a new mantra: Itās okay to do less when youāre coping with more.
Itās okay that this year has been heavy in my classroom and medically. Itās okay that weekends have been for rest. Itās okay that The Teacher Care Club has been quieter. And yet, my brain still goes to the place I hate most, feeling like Iāve let this community down.
But the truth is this platform and nonprofit were never meant to show a perfectly put together teacher. The whole point has always been to show up as I am, so other teachers know they can show up as they are too.
So whatās next? In the short term, finding ways to reconnect that donāt require perfection. In the long term, continue to build TeacherFest26, grow our team, support educators, and practice being gentle with myself along the way.
If youāre still here, thank you. Truly.
And if this resonates, youāre not alone. š
