Teacher Self-Reflection

March 20, 2024

It has been four months since I started my job as a Deaf Education teacher, and I truly love what I do. That being said, there is never a calm day in the classroom. Teachers absolutely deserve a raise.

Every day, I am learning and reflecting on how to be a better teacher, teammate, and advocate for our DHH students. It is exhausting work, and imposter syndrome shows up more often than I would like. But when I see even the smallest bit of growth in a student, I am reminded that I am doing something right.

Balancing life as a rookie teacher during the day and an online graduate student at night has been rough, especially with meetings everywhere. Slowly, though, I feel like I am finding a rhythm and learning how to hold both roles with a little more balance.

I know my mom would be proud of me. In April, it will be six months since she passed away. I can see how much I have grown in that time. I am relearning who I am, rediscovering parts of myself, and stepping into new experiences I never imagined navigating without her.

Some days, grief completely takes over. I want to shut out the world, pause time, and cry, secretly wishing I could have her back. Other days, I feel her spirit in a way that steadies me. It pushes me to do my best, to move step by step and day by day with patience and empathy for myself. That lesson echoes from the many conversations I have had with mentors who remind me that growth takes grace.

Self-care and staying connected to others have helped me carry this complicated emotion we call grief. I know grief will always be part of me. But I also trust that, over time, the sharp edges of pain will soften and slowly be replaced by warm memories, gratitude, and the ability to remember her with more joy than ache.

Until then,

Katie