When being onboarded to my first teaching position, the principal told me, “Teaching is a 24 hour job.”
She was unintentionally feeding a toxic macro-culture of unrealistic expectations that includes judging sincere professionals as undedicated if they aren’t devoting their time away from work to their obligations at work.
This infers that the expectation is to neglect yourself…your marriage… your family… your life for your career.
WRONG! NOPE! I CAN’T GO FOR THAT!
Yes, we sometimes have to arrive early and stay late, then work at home…but it should never be the daily expectation. Some people even consider this behavior noble and judge others on their expectations.
No, my first principal should have encouraged me to use my time wisely… work smart and not hard… and never forget that the number ONE (1) reason(s) for being in any profession begins with yourself and your family.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ABSENT TO BE A DEADBEAT PARENT…
…All you have to do is put your career before your own children.
No matter what profession or job you GO TO every day…TAKE ALL OF YOU TO IT, then BRING ALL OF YOU BACK HOME! It should never come before you or the people most important to you…and it should never come before the people to whom you are most important….
THEY NEED ‘QUALITY YOU TIME’…
…Not some shell of you who is always preoccupied with work. Even God teaches us to…
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR ‘AS’ YOU LOVE YOURSELF! (Mark 12:31)
Anecdotally, one of the greatest causes of cognitive dissonance among educators is the feeling they’re doing more for the children of others rather than their own.
How many milestones and memories have you missed to fulfill someone else’s expectations of you above your own or your family?
God also demands that we rest one day out of seven… whether you believe it’s Saturday or Sunday, have you forsaken your gift of rest? Do you spend your weekends getting ready for Monday? God forbid!
Remember, it’s not how many hours you work, but how you work your ours.
It’s your responsibility to create healthy boundaries while honoring your commitment to your career.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
BE BLESSTIFIED! 
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