My Classroom Haven

The world feels tough right now. 

Covid, Afghanistan, racism, the loss of women's rights, voter suppression, gerrymandering, hurricanes, fires, climate change. The list just seems to go on. For the first time in a long time, I am choosing to be ignorant of the news. I know,  It's terrible, but sometimes it's just too much. It all feels so overwhelming and sad - sometimes hopeless, and definitely helpless. So lately I've been turning off the news, choosing podcasts, books, and music over NPR, turning my gaze away from the negativity that fills my social media feed - preserving my own mental health, guiltily aware that I'm privileged to even be able to do that.

Last week school started. For a lot of people that might just be one more stress added to the list. For me, it's almost exactly the opposite. Part of that is because I work with people who are  kind and supportive, and part of it is that I just love what I do. Teaching makes me happy. But this morning, as I forced myself to read the news, I realized that it's more than that. 

My classroom is my haven. In a world where I sometimes feel like I can't control anything, I can control this - a society in miniature. In my classroom what I do matters. It is a world in which I get to set the tone. I get to decide that right will be right, and truth will be told, fair will be fair, and that kindness will always win. I work to make sure that no matter what is happening in the world, for 6 hours a day, the members of my community feel safe and secure. Little did I know that by creating something for my students I was also giving it to myself.