Follow the Fun
Hello friend! It’s Erin, founder of Tailor-Made Teacher.
Just over a year ago I was still in the classroom teaching. Many may have thought I had it all together, but under my tired eyes and forced smile I was deeply struggling. The never-ending demands of the job and my desire to please everyone (while never seeming to please myself), left me empty. I was trying to do it all, be it all, and attempt to find the passion that once burned so brightly. The problem was I lost myself in the work and I didn’t have the support to move forward. I needed more than platitudes. “It will all be okay” or “just practice more self care” wasn’t enough. I needed the authentic, practical, HELP ME GET OUT OF THIS HOLE support.
These feelings were not easy to reckon with considering my entire life had been oriented around teaching up until this point. I had wanted to be a teacher since the second grade. I spent countless summers convincing my sister summer school was “fun” as I daily gave lessons to her and my dolls in my makeshift classroom. I took the job very seriously, teaching them everything I knew (because, you know, we have to combat that summer learning loss (; ) It filled me with a kind of energy I found virtually nowhere else. I loved getting lost in the storytelling. I loved being in charge. I loved the planning, the whiteboard, the fake grading. I loved it all.
So, what happened?
Well, life happened. Covid happened. The education system within which I was working felt like a sinking ship. You patch one hole and more show up. The relentless torrent of responsibilities, demands, and expectations were threatening to capsize my own boat. And because I was overwhelmed, I lost hope. I neglected what previously energized me, the only things that kept me afloat, and started working like another cog in the machine. Patching the boat, but not rocking it. Not making waves. Just moving along.
In the end, that didn’t sit well with me. The passion I felt in the beginning was elusive and I didn’t give it the chance to buoy me. I had stopped pursuing what I loved. I had lost my energy. I had stopped following the fun.
At that very point, life circumstances required me to take a step away from teaching. In the past year I had a baby and moved across the country for my husband’s military position. While the setting may have changed, those values, those wellsprings of energy are still the same.
Creating.
Building Relationships.
Collaborating.
Researching.
Sharing.
Reading.
Motivating.
Leading.
I tap into those values every day when I create content, build relationships, and collaborate on custom resources for you. If I could go back in time and sit with that tired, weary teacher as she sunk underneath the weight of expectations, I would encourage her to remember those values. To pursue what once gave her life. Because maybe in doing so, she could have steered the boat in another direction, following her own route, one that would lead to calmer seas and greater contentment.
My passion and work is for those of you still in the trenches, doing the hard work day in and day out. I want you to have the support I never had, but knew I desperately needed.
So here I am, the loudest one in the crowd cheering you on. You don’t have to do this on your own. You don’t have to get lost in the work and the negativity. Find a new passion within the work. Reach out for help. Reflect on what previously motivated you and discover if it is enough to motivate you now.
What if pursuing the fun part of your work is not extra, but the most necessary?
It is not easy work. Reflection is rarely easy because it demands that we accept what has been, who we have been, and who we currently are, so that we can become something more, something better. Are you willing to do this beautiful work? What would happen if you made the decision to follow the fun?
If you relate to my story and are feeling overwhelmed, reach out for help! I am here to help you. Complete this Free Consultation in under 3 minutes to get started!