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One of the most often quoted lines about teaching is “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach." I do not believe that when George Bernard Shaw wrote those words his intention was for them to be thrown at teachers and coaches consistently through the 21st century. However, those words have continued to be used to describe professionals in the education field. However, at this current time a large number of teachers are leaving the profession in what some have called a mass exodus of teachers. Some say teaching is more difficult now than it has ever been due to several factors, including advancements in technology and societal issues. When teaching becomes difficult, I believe one of the most important factors is to remember your mission and vision for teaching. I believe that if teachers can stay focused on their mission and vision, then teaching through difficult circumstances becomes less difficult.

A phrase I have heard often as a teacher is that we have signed up to be lifelong learners. The education field is everchanging and the expectations of the profession are consistently raised. New technology is created, and teachers are expected to understand how to appropriately use it for instructional purposes. The expectations placed on teachers by the state are constantly changing. How teachers are evaluated is constantly changing. With all of this being said it is critical that teachers understand their role as lifelong learners. The learning does not stop. It is critical that teachers are constantly learning about all of the changes in order to be the best teacher that they can be. The expectation is that teachers are keeping up to date with the latest knowledge and resources in order to create the most conducive learning environment. The students are constantly changing, requiring that the way we teach keeps up. The students are always learning, and the teachers have to as well.

Bluey is one of our favorite tv shows at our house. There is an episode that we recently watched as a family titled "Run Your Race." In this episode the mother is explaining to her daughter how we are all learning and growing at our own rate. I often feel as teachers we play the comparison game, and it robs us of the moments of joy we could spend time in as a teacher. A life lesson we often spend time on as teachers is convincing students to just do their best. As we prepare students for state achievement tests, we tell them just to do the best they can. However, I believe as teachers we struggle to take our own advice. We are often looking for that perfect lesson. We expect ourselves to sit down at our desk at the end of the day having just taught a perfect day. We often forget about all of the elements that are out of our control that will impact our instruction and the lesson that we spent hours planning. I find that it is important to take a lesson from the episode of Bluey and run our own race. Focus on controlling what we can control and move at our own pace.