Here’s the thing: at some point in history, high demands were placed on teachers to be perfect beings who managed to have it all together and who couldn’t just say no.  The world of Pinterest and all things pretty rolled in and instantly many teachers started believing the LIE that we needed to have it all, and be all.  Truth is, on some days, my classroom and many of yours out there are a hot mess .  Guess what? My best days in the classroom are when my students are fully engaged in their learning and the room is flipped upside down because of it- that’s not Pinterest worthy, but it sure is acceptable in my book (who am I kidding?  I don’t like a messy room and I keep it mostly organized-but you know what I mean)

Several years ago, a movie called Yes Man with Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel (my inspiration for getting bangs that year) was out in theaters.  I, along with all of America went out and watched it and discovered the power of saying yes.  Saying yes is a beautiful thing.  Running towards the fire and doing things that normally frighten you to death is liberating.  There is much to be said about standing on the edge of life, undecided about your next move and trusting in your heart that saying yes and moving forward despite the unknown is the right thing to do.  I embrace that.  In fact, running towards my fears has been a great thing for me.  It allowed me to fight through life to get an education despite my perceived shortcomings.  It propelled me to launch into this blogging world and resource creating on Teachers Pay Teachers.   It is what has allowed me to believe that what I have to offer is not only good enough, but also excellent.  I don’t know about you, but learning to believe in yourself is powerful, because self-doubt is a force always at work in order to bring us down and deplete us of everything great inside of us. 
Saying yes should feel like this:

BUT, for teachers, saying yes can have the complete opposite effect.

YOU CAN’T SAY YES IF IT COMES AT A PRICE YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO PAY!

Just say no and it can be just as liberating as saying yes.

And there it is, my friends.  

I will not say yes if it comes at a price I’m not willing to pay.

We’ve all seen it.  The movies where the mom or dad work for corporate America and never have time for their children.  We are all sitting at home watching them and judging them.  “Oh, if he only paid more attention to his kids, they wouldn’t be that way.”  “Well, if she was available for her daughter, she wouldn’t need counseling.”  The judging goes on and on.  “How dare these parents choose money over their children?”

But then we see teachers saying no to activities outside of their work hours that are unpaid and we judge them also.  “Well, I guess that teacher wasn’t as dedicated to her students as she claimed.”  “This is what’s wrong with America’s education system-teachers that do not care about their students.”  It is a double standard.  For a long time, I thought that I had to be the teacher that did it all because if I didn’t, it meant I wasn’t dedicated enough.

I’m dedicated but…

I will not say yes if it comes at a price I’m not willing to pay.

And guess what?  You shouldn’t either.

When we are blessed, it is only proper to open up our hearts and our hands to bless others.  When I chose to be a teacher, I chose to open up my heart to other people’s children.  I chose to bless them with an education and I vowed to love them and care for them.  We all work more than our salaried hours and I bet we all love doing so because we are dedicated.  If those extra hours, however, sacrifice the well being of my own family and my mental health-I must say NO.

Why do we have to learn to just say no without guilt?  Because…

when we say no, we are inherently saying yes to other things.  

I say no so that I can say yes to (not in any specific order)….

Bedtime cuddles and bedtime stories with my children.

My entrepreneurial business that will help free my family of debt.

Laying on the couch with my husband to catch up on life, pray together or simply embrace.

Life group with the women from church.

Curriculum planning for the children’s ministry in church.

Prayer and devotional time with God.

Sermon preparation.

Home cooked meals for my family.

Leisure reading time.

Time spent with my extended family to watch my nieces and nephews grow.

Dinner with friends.

ASL classes so that I can better communicate with my Deaf daughter.

Watching a movie while cuddling with my daughters.

Keeping my home clean and organized.

Homework support for my oldest daughter.

Actually work out and be healthy.

Lay on the couch and do absolutely nothing while only listening to the sound of my own breathing.

…and many other things that I wouldn’t be able to do were I to say yes to everything else.

What are you saying no to so that you can say yes?

Happy Resting,