Be Loud and Let Others Be Loud

Yes, the cover photo here is IRRELEVANT but I had to show you! Is my kitten not the cutest? If you listen to the podcast this week you will hear all about the prairie grass pictured...so yes go click on the podcast this is your reminder to do so! This week was a big week for my students. They had a second assessment and their progress reports released. How do you motivate students to be vulnerable and utilize creative energy over zoom? When I entered the world of virtual teaching I thought to myself that it would be less exhausting and I’d have plenty of time to fuel both my work and personal life. Oh geez, I have never been so wrong! I was confused for weeks about my exhaustion at the end of the day because it simply didn’t add up, if I was sitting all day why had I turned into a sloth? I realized it-I was trying to make up for their lack of energy towards virtual learning. During a typical school year, I’m an energetic and upbeat teacher, but via zoom, I am WILD. I am exaggerating EVERYTHING, hyping up the most boring lessons, and talking at a level 12. Why the heck have I been doing this?

I’m all about concluding, so I naturally concluded that I exhibit this behavior in and out of the classroom. I feed off other people and their energy, I amp up my energy if others are needing the vibes. That’s why I was so exhausted from zoom teaching because my students were dragging. I was trying to fuel them even though I have been out of gas.

If you are reading this and are a teacher then you know what this feels like, it’s part of the job.

If you are here weekly you know that I had created a goal for myself during the summer, in short, it was to be bold and vulnerable. I established that goal in hopes to rededicate my time to my voice, creativity, and dreams, which I had neglected in various ways. I struggled this week coming up with a post idea, and when I did it ended up sitting in my drafts ALL WEEKEND because I was nervous to post it.

There is not one thing that you or I will ever say that will please all parties and though that is a common knowledge it is more difficult to implement into your life than just repeating it like a broken record. We're always making decisions that will seem appealing to those around us. We are hiding parts of ourselves that are not appealing to society and silencing our voice since it has been deemed too loud. I have a simple push for you this week and that is to reflect and make sure you are about to do or say something because you feel the need not because it fits the norm. I should tattoo that word on my body because I am ALWAYS saying it. My students probably think I am annoying or maybe you do too when I am telling you to sit down and reflect, but it is needed we are moving at such a fast pace that we are no longer processing events, thoughts, or actions fully.

When we don't process, we make unmindful decisions to fit the norm and say what others want to hear. Instead of silencing yourself because it is the norm, you need to be loud about the things you care about. Today during class I opened a zoom call for students to stop by for a few reminders but on the fly realized that I needed to clearly state that they needed to be loud about what they cared about especially in this political climate. Though my students are not old enough to vote, reminding them that their voice is valued NOW instills the practice that they too, need to be loud about what is important to them no matter their age. Society is/has been silencing voices from a young age. For too long people are deemed not qualified to voice their opinions or thoughts-they are told it's too loud. It's been deemed “too loud” or “too chaotic” to have so many people voicing their thoughts, when in reality, society is frustrated with that there are people finally speaking up in opposition to what has been “normal” for so long.

Reality is different for everyone and it should be brought to light. With that, we must practice empathy and acknowledgment for those who have experienced what we haven't, there is no room to judge or critique the reality we haven't lived. There is only room for empathy and grace. Provide the same grace you would hope for when being loud about your reality.

I need to be loud and empathetic. I also need you to be loud and empathetic! I am writing this as a way to manifest the behavior that I so deeply want the world to exhibit! It starts with you and me.

This is me being bold and vulnerable, your version may look different but when you get up in the morning you have a choice I hope you choose to be loud today in whatever way that looks for you. It takes courage to speak up in a political climate like this but we cannot remain unchanged since this “normal” has been hurting people for way too long.

I hope you find time to be loud today. I hope you find time to reflect today. I hope you find time to be empathetic and provide the same grace you would want.

Xoxo

Corrinne Ruth