I gaze at the blood pressure monitor on my Amazon wish list. The rush of guilt consumes my body as I add the new item to my cart and place my order. Do I really need this right now? I think to myself. This is one of the many times I have put my health at the bottom of the priority list, and it wouldn’t be the last…
Despite being on the south side of 40 as I write these words, I realize how much my devotion to my career in education has had an impact on my overall health. My desire to excel in my career and to be the best has driven me to the border of mental and physical anguish, and I realize that something has to give. I have to make sure I don’t allow an externally thankless career to strip me of the person that I am–the wife that I am, the mother that I am, the daughter and sister that I am…
And so I am here in front of my keyboard, trying to articulate the wild rollercoaster ride my nearly two decade long career in education has been–and the ride is nowhere near over yet. Buckle up for a journey of anticipation, uncertainty, fear, disappointment, frustration and self-realization that I hope whoever reads this can somewhat relate to. For those looking to start their own career in teaching, especially black women like myself, please see my experiences as both unique and not so uncommon.
This blog is not intended to dissuade anyone, especially people of color, from pursuing a career in education. It is simply my way of expressing my experiences and getting some things off my chest. As with some other life-changing milestones I have faced, I find it rather therapeutic to talk about it in writing. And in the process, I have found that my words and vocalized thoughts have helped others who may have experienced similar situations. There is a reason why the teacher shortage is at a national crisis level in America, and unsurprisingly, the schools most heavily impacted are the Title I and urban K-12 public schools, where many children of color attend. And while black teachers represent less than 10 percent of the overall teaching population in public K-12 schools, the annual turnover rate for black educators is almost 20% (Source). Is this due to a lack of talent or a shortcoming on our part? I hope my past, present and future experiences in the teaching profession can answer this question.