My life in public schools as a student, teacher, parent, and consultant has lead me into a love affair with teachers. I adore them all; the ones who are excellent, the ones who want to be excellent, the brand-new ones, the burned out ones….
From this love affair with teachers, my life’s mission has been born! It is to fill every classroom with a teacher who has been empowered to love her own life. These empowered teachers teach from a place of abundance- from a cup that overflows, they are not women who start their days with empty cups!
Why is this important? Because every day these women, full cups or empty, influence our children- our most precious citizens.
I believe parents want their child to spend his or her day with a teacher that exudes a passion for learning, radiates a zest for life, and models a desire to help those in need. These are the core-qualities of teachers who are empowered to love their lives. These women take care of themselves FIRST, and DON’T feel guilty about it. They recognize that “life” can’t be put on hold until their own children are grown. Friendships are important NOW! Hobbies are important NOW! Life is to be enjoyed NOW! These are things that “fill the cup” of the empowered teacher.
Sadly, very few of my colleagues are experiencing this “full-cup, overflowing” brand of living. Too often, I hear tales of frustration, exhaustion, skepticism, and uncertainty. I hear echoes of worry about not authentically meeting children’s needs, about many hours spent away from families, and about time spent working in the late night after their own children are asleep. I hear apprehension regarding district mandated programs being implemented with little, or no, teacher input.
This sad part of the reality is only half of the reason I am so committed to empowering teachers to love their lives. The other half is that, on the whole, the teachers I know and continue to meet, desperately want to authentically educate children. They want their classes to succeed. They want to be known as teachers who really make a difference. This is why I love them!
Now imagine, if we empowered teachers to love their lives, our world would change. The support community we now have to search for would be built right into the fabric of our society because all of our children would spend their school days with women who model a passion for learning, zest for life, goodwill toward others, support for friends, and compassion for self, family, and neighbor. All human interactions would change- can you feel the energy?
Just the thought of giving this gift to the world, one teacher at a time, makes me more committed to daily living my mission. Is it morning yet?
Teachers often spend more time with our children than we do. They are the guides, mentors and leaders our kids look to when we are not there.
It’s so important that teachers take time to make themselves a priority, to experience “full-cup, overflowing” brand of living.”
Parents need to support teachers and teach our children to do the same.
An outstanding young lady with a zest for life and primary school education. Her students are well served by having a teacher who is so capable she can manage teaching and coaching careers, wife and mother and all around zest for life. South Carolina could use many more like her.
Wynn, Your post makes me feel so hopeful. I am glad to know that there is a woman like you doing the work you do and making the world a more beautiful place for our teachers and our children.
Wynn, your love for teachers just overflows. You know them inside and out. A nation that doesn’t care about its teachers is throwing away its future. I hope many teachers respond to this passionate plea on their behalf.
THANK YOU so much for featuring this incredible woman! Having had the opportunity to meet her in person recently, I have seen her passion at work! As a home-school Mom, I have been blessed with her thoughts on empowering teachers, no matter if they are in a formal setting or at a home-school setting
Empowering teachers, no matter who they are to help the next generation is an incredible position to be in, and I thank her for the insight she has helped me gain in this regard.
Thanks for this great site, and for spotlighting such an awesome woman!
Wynn,
You’re every school superintendent’s dream! I wish every teacher had your passion and commitment for teaching our next generation.
Wonderful thoughts from a wonderful lady!
This is a great article & the work you do should be available for teachers everywhere. It is incredible.
Teachers are a very important resource and I’m so glad they have you as a support and mentor to turn to. A teacher in my teen years literally changed my life and helped me to become the person I am, I shudder to think what my life would have been like without her. Hurray for great teachers who understand the difference they can make in a child’s life!
Great stuff!!!! When you speak everyone needs to listen!
Thank you all for your comments! You know I am loving every day that I am alive to share this message.
Wynn,
What a beautiful sentiment so well written, and what an awesome mission and passion you’re living
into!!
May you enliven one teacher at a time who impacts untold numbers of students, and may
blessings overflow.
So glad we met, and I look forward to seeing you again!
Joy
I teach adults in a church environment and Wynn’s message is just as true for the teacher of adults as it is for the teacher of children …. just as true in a church as in a school ….. and, by the way, just as true in a “family,” where parents are constantly teaching children lessons in character, values, life-principles, etc ….. Every child should be so blessed as to have parents and teachers who live and teach from the “overflowing cup” Wynn mentioned …. Great message!
Wynn – I absolutely love reading and hearing all that you have to say. You are always so positive and seem to brighten the days of all those “burnt out” and just plain ‘ol tired/stressed folks!
Wynn, Wow!
I am energized just reading this… definitely a mission that has a contagious energy.
As another that teaches adults, but in a corporate setting, I believe the principles you introduce here to be absolutely transferrable. I can’t get them excited about what they are learning if I don’t have any energy myself or if I am unable to endorse the program or method I am directed to use in my teaching.
As a mother of two school aged children, it is VERY high on my list to have their teachers feel equipped and empowered to pour into my kids. I hear regularly the apprehension you reference regarding district mandated programs being implemented with little, or no, teacher input. And I can’t help but empathize when I think about the impact having my input valued has in motivating me to do my own job with excellence.
So true that you can’t fill the cup of another when yours isn’t full prior to starting….
The teacher must “exude a passion for learning, radiate with a zest for life, and model a desire to help those in need”… welll said!
You are an inspiration!
Stace.
My daughter will be starting kindergarten in a few years and we are already on the hunt for a school that provides this environment for their teachers and kids. I would be thrilled to have my daughter say she loves her teacher so much she wants to be one. This is such important work, supporting those that nurture our future.
I just returned from attending one of my dearest friend’s funeral. She committed suicide last Tuesday. Although she was not a teacher, she was a woman, mother, professional, wife, daughter——who was burnt out and feeling worthless. These were the same feelings I had been feeling in every aspect of my life when I boarded the plane 5 days ago. However, I came back to South Carolina and my life’s reality with a new outlook on how I am going to live my life from this day forward.
~Wynn, your composition has inspired me. I would love to attend any of your workshops that will help me reach this level.
Kristen,
I am so sorry to hear of your friend’s suicide. It matters not, what our profession is. Those burnt out worthless feelings can grip anyone.
I am hopeful in your response to this tragedy and encourage you to reach out to those around you as you recover and process all of these events. Take time to grieve and be easy on yourself.
You know I will continue to send you the “Embracing the Apple” and I do have something in the works, I’ll share more about later. For now, I want you to ease back into your life. Begin to marvel in the little things- like a sunrise or sunset. As you heal, we’ll talk about the next steps.
Sending a big hug your way,
Wynn
Hi Wynn,
A fellow colleague asked me to play in an after-school activity along with some other teachers. Well, I declined, and the reasons I gave to him were:
“I just don’t have time”, or I felt that I was not doing my part with after-school planning.
My colleague then asked me, “Have you read Wynn’s article?” I replied, “Well, I deleted it because I had too many other important things to get done!” No offense! Hear me out on this. I feel so validated by your article! We are all feeling the things you mentioned in your article. I think it’s important for every teacher to keep in mind, that only a happy and fulfilled person can bring other people to a higher place. We have got to forget about the things, or the people that fill us up with self-doubt. I am a teacher, and I love being in the classroom, but I am a woman first, and my need to be happy is immense, and worth everything to every youngster that walks inside my door. So, to every man and woman, more power to you. You have to be happy first! And, there is nothing wrong with that!