I’m an introvert. My journey through self care as an educator speaks as much to my introversion as it does to my love of reading and journaling.
I have adored my work in education. But it is hard, draining, even debilitating. I’ve loved my students and colleagues, and I’ve fully spent myself on my work. This typically left me irritable and unavailable at home. I was at my worst for the people to whom I wanted to give my best. So I fought against my innate introverted nature, which told me to rest, read, create, and write. Instead, I attempted to be who I thought I should be. I could function, and even excel in different areas at different times, but I didn’t thrive.
To thrive in all areas of their lives is my hope for all educators, and self care plays an important role in that. Not every educator finds rest through reading, writing, and creating. Not all educators are introverts, but I know I’m not alone. So I’m trying to support introvert educators by encouraging them to make the time they need to read, write, and create.
But it’s not enough.
It’s not enough to encourage you to read, write, and create without giving opportunity. I’m working on that with some upcoming LELA House events. Similarly it’s not enough to give opportunity without giving time.
I can’t make time, but I can provide opportunity, encouragement, and resources. I believe if someone had suggested I make some time for myself and offered me the chance to pursue my passions, I might have thrived rather than survived. I didn’t recognize what I needed, and being an exhausted introvert educator in an extrovert world made me question myself and my place in education.
Everyone who rests by reading, writing, and creating isn’t an introvert, but I bet a lot of you are. And if you’re like me, you could use a community of other introvert educators – who understand your conflicting needs for solitude and camaraderie; how reading, writing, and creating rejuvenate you; how your superpowers show up differently; how you can love what you do and find it draining.
So let’s talk about it. What’s your life as an #IntrovertEducator? What do you need to make it through the day? Leave a comment to join the conversation.
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I am doing a 31-day series on reading and journaling as self care for educators. Each day of the series has bonus journal prompts. Click to join the LELA House family of educators committed to nourishing their reading, writing, and creative souls. You’ll receive a link to the journal prompts and gain early alerts for upcoming LELA House ideas, courses, and products. You only need to subscribe once. I will add a new worksheet each day to the access link.
Roshaunda D. Cade, Ph.D. is an educator, writer, and creator. She offers life coaching and writing coaching to educators, as well as other opportunities for educators to practice self care through reading and writing. Check out her LELA House website to learn more about her services. Roshaunda lives in St. Louis, MO with her husband and teenage children and enjoys reading, writing, dancing, and pushing her creative boundaries.