“All great achievements require time.”—Maya Angelou
It isn’t exactly breaking news that teaching is hard. And saying so doesn’t mean we don’t love it. We do. If we didn’t, it wouldn’t just be difficult, it would be impossible. We love our students, and we believe what we do is deeply important. There are many afternoons when I reflect on the events of the day and feel great. I remember wonderful music-making, hilarious things my kids said, or meaningful moments shared with a class. But gosh, some days it’s hard to feel like I’ve done much of anything. Some days my lesson plan just didn’t work like I imagined. Some days I wish I’d handled a situation differently. Some days I’m just tired. Some days I wonder whether what I’m doing matters at all.
Recently, I went to the Fannin Middle School Choir Fall Concert. I have been teaching at the same elementary school for seven years now, so I have the immense privilege of seeing some of my students grow all the way through my program, moving on to become musicians in higher grades. I was very kindly invited by a former student, and I saw many more of my former students there. They sang beautifully, looking so tall and composed on that stage. I cried, obviously, but the music was not even the best part. The best part was their faces when they saw me. The best part was all the hugs and shouts of, “Ms. Burt!” and the way they told me all about their middle school experience so far. I told each and every one how proud I am, and assured them that yes, I will come to the Christmas concert, too.
That feeling is enough to get through quite a few hard days. It made me thankful for the hard days I survived to receive that blessing. In this culture of instant gratification, add to cart, ChatGPT and putting our lives on social media for immediate feedback, have we lost our way a bit? Have we forgotten that making lasting change, seeing the fruits of our labor, and reaching goals requires time? How can this lesson of patience and perseverance apply to other aspects of life?
Consider personal finances. It takes a heck of a long time to save money, and even longer to get out of debt. (Hello, student loans and credit cards.) So long, in fact, that many people don’t bother doing it because it feels impossible. Because each and every step feels so miniscule and meaningless that you want to give up. Because you’re working so hard, it feels unfair to make sacrifices. Because our phones, and sometimes our friends, are constantly showing us what to spend money on to feel happier or triendier or skinnier or healthier or more put-together. I will not pretend my own various group chats don’t contain Amazon links, both sent and received. It’s just so easy. My mother always says, “Five dollars is just five dollars, but even five dollars adds up.” I hate that, but she’s right. Spending money frivolously feels good in the moment, it really does, but not spending it feels even better if you’re willing to wait.
Our health is certainly another area of life that requires immense grit and determination. Anyone who has tried to lose weight or quit smoking can testify to this. I’ve done both with varying degrees of success and, holy moly, it’s easier to overeat and have a cigarette than it is to eat mindfully and resist the craving. It’s easier to sit on the couch than it is to go for a walk or drive to the gym. As someone who has reached “this will all catch up with you one day” years old, I’m relieved to tell you that I quit smoking nearly eight years ago and haven’t looked back. I have nothing to report on the whole going-to-the-gym situation, but I’ll keep you posted.
When preparing my students for a performance, I often tell them that right now, weeks or months in advance, in this classroom, we have to decide this show is going to be great. When we finally see the sets and costumes, and the audience is in place, and we get that rush of excitement, it will be too late to decide if we haven’t put in the work. Rehearsal cannot always be fun. It is work. But nailing a performance, hearing those cheers from our community, feeling the pride of their grown-ups and friends in the audience, THAT is absolutely always fun. Basketball drills are not always fun, but winning a game is the MOST fun. Staying home from a night out, or saying no to that purchase I’ve been eyeing might not be fun, but seeing that debt decrease or savings increase is beyond worth it. Turning down dessert isn’t fun, but achieving health goals is an amazing feeling. Dusting and vacuuming isn’t fun, but lighting a candle in that spotless living room is incredibly satisfying.
Having fun is important, of course. Little treats, lazy days and spontaneous outings are a few of my favorite things. We must remember that small, unseen and uncelebrated steps are important, too. True reward, satisfaction and achievement takes time.
