Somewhere along the way, we started believing a myth:
That good teaching means always smiling.
Always energetic.
Always patient, creative, organized, and emotionally available — no matter what.

This myth is quiet. It’s not written in policies.
But it lives in staffroom whispers.
In the praise we hear when we “push through.”
In the guilt we carry when we can’t.

And the cost? It’s high.

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📉 The Myth of the Ever-Smiling, Tireless Teacher

This myth…

🌪 Drains the soul but expects the smile to stay
🪫 Wires humans like batteries — then blames them for going dim
🤐 Turns silence into survival: “Don’t complain, just cope”
💔 Makes leaving feel like failure, staying feel like martyrdom

We forget something simple:
Teachers are not vines to climb or masks to wear.
We are living beings — and we grow best with care.

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✅ What to Normalize Instead

We can start with small shifts:

✔ Low-energy lessons that still meet student needs
✔ Saying “I don’t know” without shame
✔ Turning off notifications after hours
✔ Celebrating showing up — even when we’re not 100%

You are still an amazing teacher, even when you’re tired.
Even when you’re unsure. Even when you don’t sparkle.
That’s not failure. That’s humanity.

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📣 A New Teaching Manifesto

It’s time to rewrite the story of what it means to teach well.
Together.

🛑 We stop glorifying burnout
🟢 We praise presence over performance
🤝 We check on each other
💬 We speak up when the silence starts hurting
🌱 We grow with care — not through self-erasure

This isn’t weakness. This is the only way to stay.

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🧡 Final Thought

You were never meant to be the whole system.
You don’t have to hold it all.
You don’t have to fix what’s broken.

You just have to show up — real, honest, and human.

Because teaching doesn’t ask for perfection.
It asks for presence.
And care.
That’s enough.

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📍 Written for teachers. By someone who believes you’re allowed to last.
If you’d like to share your story or add your voice to this conversation, feel free to leave a comment below or connect via @englishwith.alpcan.