Sometimes we think about all the energy it takes to teach and it feels daunting. Students are coming to school with a sweeping range of abilities and needs. Some days in the classroom feel as though we are making great strides, those days are the best! While other days it’s as though we aren’t hitting the mark, those days really don’t feel good at all… We have to pause to wonder, “Are we enough?” These thoughts pass through every thoughtful teacher’s mind.

The most important thing is that we keep showing up and doing our best. We keep trying to find solutions, we keep looking for better ways of doing things. Despite all of our vulnerabilities teachers put themselves out there and lead. We are working on the front lines of society and we see our students coming to school from all different circumstances. We worry, we celebrate, we plan, we try, we fail, we grow. Responsive teachers live a learner’s life.

Living a life as a learner means that we are indeed, enough. Our students can learn from our experiences as well as the content we teach them. They can feel safe because they know that we hold them in the highest esteem. Every time we see a student make academic gains, find a topic they are really interested in, or make a new friend we know we had a part in that. Yes, we are enough.