There is no way around it, teaching is a challenge. The experience of a teacher is hard to communicate to those outside the profession. That’s why it’s so important to have strong relationships with other people going through the same thing. Teacher Besties are a must!
We know the importance of creating a strong classroom community in order to help our students flourish. We need that for ourselves as well. Our teaching community offers support, encouragement, and comfort in a role that can, more often than not, feel overanalyzed and underappreciated. This community is what helps us continue to return and grow as educators.
I have been blessed in my time in education to always find “my people” within the school that I work. Those people you can lean on when it feels like everything is out of control and celebrate with when things are going right. Having a strong community of teachers helps lessen the weight we carry everyday. There are so many ways that a Teacher Best Friend can positively affect your life, here are just a few that I am truly grateful for.
You have someone who understands your interests.
Teaching is such a huge part of my life and I find myself talking about it ALL of the time. For people outside of the profession, this can get confusing or even frustrating at times. With my teacher besties, I’m able to rave about the new engagement strategy I saw on TikTok or the funny comments that my students make on the daily. They get it because they see it too.
You have someone to vent to.
I absolutely love teaching, but there are times when I don’t like it very much. When I vent my frustrations out to non-teachers I often get the response “If you don’t like it then why don’t you quit”. My teacher besties on the other hand, they let me get it off my chest. They support me and know that while I might be upset now, I really do love what I do. I can be honest about the dark parts, and they are there to listen, understand, reflect, and offer insight.
They make work (and life) more enjoyable.
My teacher besties are amazing. I know that I always have a classroom I can pop into and a lunch buddy to relax with. We talk about everything from how our classes are going to what’s happening in our personal lives. My teacher besties turn into my family. I have people I can spend summer breaks with and friends that know how dead tired I am on Friday nights, because they are too. We can plan together, laugh together, and cry together. I couldn’t make it through without them.
So, the theme of this blog . . . find yourself a Teacher Best Friend because it makes all the difference.
Eriann Roberts
Eriann Roberts is a 4th Grade Gifted and Accelerated Teacher and Spirit Line Coach at Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary in the Chandler Unified School District. She has been teaching for 9 years and is currently working toward achieving her National Board Certification under Middle Childhood Generalist. She holds a Bachelor's degree in both General Elementary Education and Special Education from Northern Arizona University. Eriann is a member of the Arizona Teacher Solutions Team as well as the CUSD Equity Team.
Comments 1
My students know who my teacher bestie is, but they only recently started figuring out we are also just regular besties too. I love having teacher friends, and I love even more when those relationships move outside of school because of how great a fit you are.