Teaching is a profession that has so many misconceptions. A lot of people who conveniently aren’t teachers believe the career is stress free and easy peasy. But those of us who are living the teaching life everyday know that’s a complete lie. There’s no way we could cope on our own that’s exactly why we need our fellow teacher friends.
We spend most of our lives in school, and even when we’re not there we are working overtime mentally. Building strong friendships is the only way to maintain your sanity and get the most out of work.
The truth is that non-teacher friends just don’t get it no matter how hard they try. Here are some reasons why fellow teacher friends are the best friends.
1. They speak “teacher”
Becoming a teacher gives you instant access to the special language of educators. All teachers are fluent and are able to understand each other through using cryptic codes and can have entire conversations using acronyms and facial expressions alone! All a fellow teacher needs to do is look at you and they’ll just get it.
Most of us spend more time with our teacher friends than we do with our actual families!
Who else can share in our love for inspiring the youth and leading them to the promised land of academic success? Ordinary people just won’t understand.
2. They just get you
You laugh together, you cry together, you roll your eyes in staff meetings together. If that’s not the recipe for a lifelong friendship, what is? You and your teacher friends will rack up an arsenal of inside jokes (some more inappropriate than others) each school year. The kids you teach, the parents you interact with and other colleagues will provide enough material for nonstop laughs!
Even when the laughs turn into floods of tears or fits anger (working with large groups of children has that effect) teacher friends are there.Nobody else gets the daily challenges and stress of being a teacher than another teacher. You will experience the entire spectrum of emotions together.
3. Teacher friends support you
Watching a class of rowdy teenagers while your teacher friend nips to the toilet is sacrificial love if I ever did see it . Teacher friends come through for us in the little ways that make such a difference. They help us print emergency worksheets. They’ll sit with you after school to mark papers or explain concepts. They save you a seat when you’re running late for staff meetings. Teacher friends have each other’s backs when we need it.
Have you tried complaining to your family or non-teacher friends about your job? They may try to understand but they just do not get it like your teacher friends do! There’s nothing like the deep sigh and rant session you have when you finally meet up with your teacher pals after a long exhausting day. You nurture each other through the losses and celebrate each other through the wins! Teacher friends just make your job better.
Make sure to give your teaching friends a shout out and let them know how much they mean to you!
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