Make this year a turning point in your life. Who I am and why you should read on...
Hello and welcome to my inaugural blog post! My name is Bloodine (pronounced bluh-deene) and my descriptors are as follows…a first generation US born citizen with Haitian immigrant parents, a single mom raising a teenage son, a sister among 6 girls (the 4th — so all the middle child issues were owned and navigated by me😊), a former school counselor and district office leader with 14 years of experience in education, a champion of what social and emotional learning can do to transform adults and thus the children they serve and support, an educator for life no matter which organization I am currently a part of, and a believer of what is possible when we recognize and remember who we are and take action to align with our truths.
Why the Awakened Educator Blog?
I’m starting the Awakened Educator blog to support the many educators out there who are tired, frustrated, burnt out (yes…some even at the start of a new school year), or who just find it challenging to maintain the level of work they are committed to providing. To encourage those who feel unheard, devalued, and forgotten as a human being in the field of education. You see, about a year ago I made the decision to walk away from my district position in search of peace, calm, and a sense of balance in my life. Twelve-hour workdays had become the norm, along with early mornings before my commute, evenings after getting my child to bed, and many weekends for work that I loved but in a structure that didn’t always value me as an individual. When I was home, I often was there physically but not fully present, as I volleyed in my head the myriad of tasks which still needed to be completed to ensure a successful meeting on Monday, next steps for my department, etc.
In January of 2018 I decided that somehow my life would have to look different as it could not continue as it was…missing opportunities with my son, always being overly tired, questioning my own competence in ways I hadn’t done in quite some time. So…in June 2018, through a series of difficult yet ordained occurrences I put in my resignation, not entirely knowing what was next but knowing what could not continue. The day I walked out of that building, I knew I was writing a new chapter in my life story. It would be one where I determined and selected what would matter most and what I would allow to take place. I was back in the driver’s seat of my life! (Side note...leaving your position isn't necessary for peace. Everyone's path is different.)
"You deserve better. You deserve to feel better, know better, do better, and thus show up better."
During my 14 years in education and even in the work that I am engaged in now, I regularly meet educators, both district and school leaders, teachers, and others who felt just as I did prior to leaving. Tired, frustrated, overworked, or simply struggling to maintain a sense of passion and service in a field that has become all consuming. If you relate to anything that I just put on this page…this blog is for you. What you have signed up for as an educator is too important and holds too much transformative potential for you to do it on fumes. You deserve better. You deserve to feel better, know better, do better, and thus show up better.
"At the Awakened Educator...you, the educator, are the most important piece of the puzzle, based on your own inherent worth and reflective thinking and not someone else’s evaluations.
So, whether you've started this school year just one week ago or are already in the full swing of things, the Awakened Educator blog will be here to support you through the journey. Every other Sunday night, you’ll find a new post that elevates your challenges, silent prayers, the decisions you make that compromise your wellbeing, the fears you have, the life outside of your work that may or may not be falling apart, your forgotten health (physical, emotional, and mental), your aspirations—and brings voice to it all.
Why Sunday night? Because it’s when my happy weekend mood used to shift to irritable and pissed upon recognizing that in just a few more hours, my perceived freedom was coming to an end, come Monday morning. Can you relate?! Of course you can. You might be there right now, as the long weekend winds down. At the Awakened Educator blog, you will not only find a place to hear and see your shared experience but also to learn strategies and ideas that will help push you past your stuck points, relax into the reality of the school year, and navigate SY 19-20 with a renewed sense of clarity, peace, and self-efficacy.
Throughout the year, I want to hear from you. This blog is a conversation and you bring just as much to the table as I do. Let me know how the posts resonate with you. Leave a comment on what makes sense and push back if you’d like. If you try a suggested strategy and experience a 180 shift, tell us about it. If it backfires (which hopefully won’t be the case), tell us too! My goal is to develop a community where you, the educator, are the most important piece of the puzzle, based on your own inherent worth and reflective thinking and not someone else’s evaluations. You make a difference everyday whether you see it and acknowledge it or not. Literally, you have the power to transform lives! If this makes sense to you…stay with us. If you think it would make sense to a colleague, friend, or family member…please be sure to pass it on. My goal is to help heal the field of education, one educator at a time and this blog is my first step.
Welcome to the Awakened Educator blog…where the process and application of awareness empowers educators to be the best version of who we are.
In Solidarity & Love,
Bloodine