Time To Clean The Filter...Surviving the End of the Year

Years ago as part of my pastor’s doctoral thesis I had the opportunity to take part in a ‘Spiritual Gifts’ inventory. This was an in depth group about what spiritual gifts were, which was the primary spiritual gift and how to use the gifts. It was no surprise to me that my primary gift was that of encouragement and my very close secondary gift was that of teaching.

I have always been the listening ear, the shoulder to cry on, and I have always been the one that loved to learn for the sake of learning then turn around and spread that love to others, even if they didn’t want or feel the need to ‘learn’.

But 20 years later, I. Am. Tired. Sigh.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my career path. I love it maybe a little too much. But this time of year wears me smooth. And I know I’m not alone.

We spend so much time taking care of others that our tanks start running bone dry by this time of year. And I don’t know about you, but my filter starts getting pretty clogged and I get very close to saying exactly what I think, instead of using my gifts in a proper manner.

So for those of you teachers who are keeping a brave face for the last few week of school, let me be your voice, since my ‘administration’ doesn’t monitor my posts as some of yours does. Let me voice your ‘unfiltered’ comments, compared with your ‘filtered’ ones.

What child says: “Mrs. Glass, what do I do again?”
Unfiltered: “Geez, we’ve done this same thing EVERY week since August! How can you NOT know what to do? LISTEN!”
Filtered: “Can anyone help Susie remember my instructions?”

What child says: “Can you call/text/email my mom and tell her I don’t like what we are having for lunch?”
Unfiltered: “What do I look like, your personal secretary? Maybe if you would take your papers OUT of your backpack and actually look at the menu and plan ahead you wouldn’t be up here asking this question!”
Filtered: “I’m sure your grown up saw the menu. There is something on today’s menu that I’m sure you will eat.”

What child says: “I forgot my homework. Can I turn it in tomorrow for full credit?”
Unfiltered: Sure! Matter-of-fact, why not just forget about doing any of the work I send home. Don’t worry about responsibility. I just send those papers home because I like to hear the copy machine run and I really don’t mind staying after school for an extra two hours when I could be home drinking a bottle of wine.”
Filtered: “You may turn it in tomorrow, but remember that late papers only get partial credit. That’s my rule.”

What administration says: “I need you to sit in on three IEP meetings during your lunch break on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of this week.”
Unfiltered: “Hahahaha! That’s cute. Go suck it!”
Filtered: “Yes, I’ll be there.”

What administration says: “So and so can’t cover his/her testing responsibilities. I need you to give up your planning periods for the next week to fill in.”
Unfiltered: “Um, NO. That’s not my job. I’m taking care of my class/the other classes I’ve already been assigned.”
Filtered: “Yes, I’ll be there.”

What a parent says/emails (for the umpteenth time): “I chose to not have Johnny do his homework again last night. He was too tired after baseball, football and basketball practice.”
Unfiltered: “Well I sure hope that he plays a great game of ball so when he flunks out of school he has something to fall back on. Oh, and I’m so glad that you are raising your child to not be responsible. That’s exactly what this world needs: one more irresponsible human.”
Filtered: “I understand that there is not a lot of time in the afternoon/evening, but I really need for homework to be a priority. Please send it to school with him and he can work on it at recess.”

What a parent says/emails: “Mike says you aren’t teaching how to do the homework and that’s why he can’t do it. Please do your job. That’s why I pay my taxes.”
Unfiltered: “#$%&! &%# @*$$ *&$#!”
Filtered: “I can assure you that I have spent plenty of time on this concept. I never send home material that I have not covered. Mike has not said anything to me about not understanding his work. Has Mike brought home his interactive journal that we take notes in everyday? Are you aware that I am here before school at 7 AM for tutoring and from 4 PM-6 PM two days a week for extra help? I am more than happy to help if Mike needs extra help.”

What child says: “OUCH!!! OUCH!!!! OUCH!!!! I need a band-aid! I have a scrape on my knee!!!!’ (no blood, small scrape)
Unfiltered: “Jesus! SUCK IT UP! YOU ARE FINE! THERE’S NOT EVEN ANY BLOOD!”
Filtered: “Oh sweetie! It’s okay. Let’s wash it off and cover it up so it doesn’t get germs in it.”

And last, but not least…

What the spouse/significant other says: “Ummmm, Honey, there’s a check that cleared for $864.23 from (education store). That wasn’t in the budget.”
Unfiltered: “Yeah, classroom supplies don’t grow on trees and administration cut our budgets yet again. Billy’s parents lost their jobs and can’t purchase what he needs. Karen’s mom is in the hospital again and I don’t want Karen to miss out on the items she was supposed to bring to school, the district decided that we teachers need to come up with our own supplemental materials for the already almost non-existent curriculum they have ‘provided’ and Jill gave the class her pet hamster and I needed supplies.”
Filtered: “I know, I love my kids!”