You won’t hear any disagreement here, Mary! Thank you for the shoutout. It is a constant battle every day — and I feel like the challenges I face are very different from your usual teacher. It requires a different skill set that is all management and very little knowledge of content — I’m the one getting the education here. My kids teach me every day, and going in with a hopeful and positive mindset is a MUST.

I have to pray and know that this is all God’s plan. It is so difficult some days. I have had to drastically recalibrate what success means — if you show up to work and get through the day, it is a good day. That is the reality as a first year, inner city self-contained teacher.