The Story Behind the #TeachersAreHuman Movement
Source: The Story Behind the #TeachersAreHuman Movement
The story behind the #TeachersAreHuman movement
“Sometimes kids make me cry.”
“I forget to eat lunch most days.”
“Some days my fear rules my life.”
These are just some of the commitments teachers have shared as part of the #TeachersAreHuman movement, which is making waves on Instagram. The purpose of the movement is to provide society (and other teachers!) with a gentle reminder that teachers are more than just teachers – they are people too. People with lives, families, passions and mistakes.
Often these confessions are raw, personal, and emotional, and speak to some of the dark corners of the education industry that can be difficult to talk about (like anxiety, teacher burnout, and school climate). But more often than not, these confessions are genuine and honest in a cathartic and refreshing way.
The confession that sparked a movement
Let’s say #TBT (that’s “turn back time” in Insta) to the post that started the #TeachersAreHuman movement.
On Oct. 22, Megan Fairchild, an 8th grade English/Language Arts teacher in Topeka, Kansas, posted on Instagram how difficult this year has been. Fairchild’s Instagram posts are usually about her favorite books, reading strategies, and the life of a teacher. She is known for her funny and relatable Instagram stories and creative approaches to the ELA curriculum.
But this post was different. In it, Fairchild spoke candidly about some of the struggles she’s faced this year at school and in her personal life.
“I’m not sure what it is, but it just feels like something isn’t clicking in the classroom,” Fairchild said in her post. She said she texted her principal and asked for a last-minute personal tag to take care of her mental health. “I need time to myself. I had to walk my sister’s dog. I needed time to sleep,” Fairchild said. “And you know what? That’s fine.”
Amen, sister.
Source: @missfairchildcreates
What Happened After
Fairchild took a lot of chutzpah to publish the post. She admitted she had considered releasing it in the first place.
But why?
Why is it so ‘brave’ to admit you need a mental health day?
Why do teachers have to sacrifice their own sanity and well-being for the sake of their students every day?
Fairchild put himself out there for all to judge — but that didn’t happen. Rather than judgement, Fairchild’s post was greeted with love and support. Teachers commented and reminded her that she is not alone. “I thought it was just me,” replied one teacher.
“Sometimes I have a really hard time remembering that I have a life outside of teaching,” commented another teacher. “I spend so much time in the classroom preparing for it outside of the classroom. I sometimes have a hard time accepting that I am human outside of everything.”
The post resonated and sparked conversations with many educators who felt the same way. It particularly struck a chord with Mike McGowen, a second grade teacher in Township, New Jersey. “Personally, I struggled to find that work-life balance, to ask for help and to disconnect from my classroom and my students.” He reached out to Fairchild to share how deeply the post had impacted him.
Fairchild and McGowen put their heads together to start the #TeachersAreHuman movement as an outlet for educators to break down barriers and share their humanity. They designed a template that teachers could use to print and share their confessions. Then they asked a close group of teacher friends to be the first to share what makes them human. It wasn’t long before hundreds of other teachers joined in.
The goal of #TeachersAreHuman
Fairchild and McGowen have a simple goal, to celebrate imperfections and to acknowledge the difficulties that educators face.
They want educators to know, “You’re not alone, it’s okay not to be perfect, and it’s okay to share those imperfections with others,” McGowen said.
“It was so refreshing to see the teachers’ voices centered and shared in such a genuine way,” Fairchild said. “It created a sense of community among teachers—new and veteran alike—and it was amazing to see all the contributions that have been shared.”
8 #TeachersAreHuman posts that caught our eye
To date, there are almost 500 public posts on Instagram sharing the hashtag #TeachersAreHuman. The confessions range from emotional and poignant to funny and relatable.
We’ve selected a few posts that caught our eye.
1. Teachers also need SEL strategies.
Source: @ifpencilscouldtalk
“Class expectations can be overwhelming and most of the time we work overtime and/or weekends. (I’m not trying!)” writes Tamara Moore, aka @ifpencilscouldtalk. “It’s important we remember that #teachersarehuman and sometimes need a little extra love!”
2. Lawmakers, students, parents (and yes, teachers) need to remember that #TeachersAreHuman.
Source: @inliteralcolor
“Teachers are people. You probably think that’s an obvious statement, but I think sometimes people forget it,” writes Camile, aka @inliteralcolor.
“I think lawmakers are forgetting that we are human if they pass another directive without consulting us. I think some parents forget when they ask for unreasonable things, or blame the teachers for everything. I know students definitely forget (or did they ever really know?) because in their minds we’re some sort of other worldly beings that only exist in school. And I think we forget too. We forget because the impossible is asked of us every day. And when we do, we’re asked to do more.”
“But, you know what? We must remember that teachers are people. Because if we did, perhaps we would have many more happy teachers, which would result in much more joy and learning for everyone. So here I admit that I am human. I’m not perfect and I never want to be. I am whole and great and capable. I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be.”
3. Everyone farts.
Source: @imwithfifth
“Yeah, sometimes I’ll fart in class and blame whoever’s closest to me. We’re in 5th grade so it’s believable!” confesses Autumn Rodriguez, aka @imwithfifth.
“Jokes aside, I’m a teacher, but I’m also a person. Sometimes I think we’re bound by higher standards than we’re given. I’m messy, I feel lazy at times, my students push my buttons – even if I love them enough to push them, and I have to grade papers until I retire. Does that make me a bad teacher? nope! It just makes me human.”
4. Being a parent and a teacher is tough.
Source: @llamawithclass
“My little fella had to help me explain what makes me human: I don’t want my maternity leave to end,” shares @llamawithclass.
“Even though I LOVE teaching, I don’t want to miss a single cuddle. I’m so concerned about how on earth I can be a good teacher and a good mom at the same time.”
5. Students say mean things.
Source: @thatawkwardteacher
“I think it was the first time I saw myself on a rate my teachers page that I thought… It just feels wrong to rate people. I chose this job, by the way, it’s damn hard, because I wanted to help kids and they say nasty things about me? shares Ms. Jackson-Schultz, aka @thatawkwardteacher.
“I have to keep reminding myself that they’re just immature, underdeveloped people, even at the high school level. They’re not always there yet, so sometimes they struggle to see how they treat others. But that doesn’t make it any less painful. I am a person who always takes things VERY personally. If you and I go to the cinema and I choose the film and you don’t like it…? I’ll feel like I let you down I’m trying to create meaningful work with a purpose and you decide against it? I’ll feel like it’s my fault. I find teaching difficult because I always take too much blame when things go wrong; it is who i am and it is unhealthy. I’m human, but I live in a world that seems to expect me to be an emotionless, perfect robot. I just can’t live up to those expectations.”
6. Nothing really prepares you to be a first year teacher.
Source: @thirdgradeperezident
“I don’t think there’s a lot of schooling that can really prepare you for your first year of apprenticeship,” said Erik Perez, aka @third_grade_perezident.
“There are so many beautiful moments and breakthroughs, but also some significant lows that stem from stress, self-deprecation, and other stressors in your personal life. I always try to balance personal stressors with work and unfortunately I feel guilty about doing things for myself. Although some of my little ones think I’m a super human, I’m only human. I have limits, I have needs, I am flawed, but I am me – and that’s enough.”
7. Teachers deal with real things.
Source: @thebestdaysclassroom
“Sometimes being human means doing what you have to do, even if you lead a double life,” says Julie, aka @thebestdaysclassroom.
“#TeachersAreHuman means we have real things in our lives that students don’t know about! How do I do all this? I remember that students don’t need to see a teacher in distress! In addition, a portion of humor always helps!”
8. Teachers can be proud of their bodies.
Source: @shecanteachtoo
“I’m NOT a robot. I am a young, vibrant woman full of LIFE and opportunity!” says Shari G., aka @shecanteachtoo.
“I set my limits, I can rap almost every @yogotti song word for word, and on the weekends you might see my waist or a thigh. I AM HUMAN! Don’t hold teachers to unrealistic expectations that you don’t even have of yourself. If my language or my outfit offends you while I’m an adult, just look away because I won’t change anything!”
what makes you human Download the template and share your confession on Instagram with #TeachersAreHuman.
You can also always find help and support in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
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