Teacher of 21+ years and parent of a sophomore & senior talks with a parent of an 8th grader & freshman about various struggles in parenting, encouraging other humans as we all do the best that we can, and partnering with teachers to rally a team of support for our future generations.
This is the final part of my candid conversation with a friend who is also a teacher. I've typed out a few memorable sentences (with a few slight edits for readability) from our time together shared here and broke up our talk into 4 sections. Please share what resonates with you, and pass it on to others that would be encouraged by our conversation. Thank you!
Read/listen to the whole 4 part series here: Conversations with a teacher about teens & life.
Choose to name the good and remain positive and encouraging to others.
You are choosing to name the good even though (good) was not all that was happening in your life. You choose to remain positive and encouraging to others.
Final words from Sejana…
I don’t want people to miss it. I know it’s a long (interview – 4 parts here) but there is a lot in here to consider as we continue to parent or as we continue to support teachers that are among us. Or )notice and appreciate) the people that are being those trusted adults that others can go to for support and help. Because not everything is great. Like you said, there is a lot going on in the world. There are people we can go to and we are not alone in the world. I hope that this can be some encouraging thoughts about our role or whatever role we are in and how we can be a help or an encouragement for others. Looing for positive ways to see the best in the other, to come alongside others in what they are doing, in the lives of people they are mentoring, or raising, or whatever it is. So, we are definitely connected and we are definitely struggling together but we definitely can encourage one another and choose to share our experiences with one another and inspire one another to continue to have the conversation and to maybe reach out and to get to the bottom of things and to reconnect.
A lot of things that you have shared today, that we have shared in this conversation has really encouraged me as a parent in what I am doing- in trying to highlight people and stories of who are making a difference in their spheres. You certainly are doing that, I didn’t realize how much, but I knew from that personal note that you sent me, at that time that I was needing to hear it, I knew that you were willing to share your life, and that you have wisdom from lived experience, and that you offer it to others who are willing to listen or are asking for help. Thank you. Thankyou.
Final words from Stacie…
“We don’t have to be perfect to encourage others and we don’t have to have all the answers in order to share some wisdom. We all have knowledge and experiences that we can share. Even if we did it wrong, we can learn form that and help other people. I think that’s really important that we don’t have to have everything perfect in your life before you can help someone else. You can just fully admit that, ‘hey, I got this wrong, but here is what I learned along the way.’ Everybody has a story to tell, and that’s why I love language arts and literature because the human experience is so fascinating. Oh I love it, I love reading stories about fascinating characters, autobiographies. Because we all have a story and it’s a journey and there is ups and downs but we can share that and learn from that and it doesn’t have to perfect because no one is.”
Anyone can read/ watch the whole 4 part series here: Conversations with a teacher about teens & life.
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Sejana Shines 