Teaching is not just a "job." You can't step away, you can't give 50%, you can't coast. It's all or nothing. These past few weeks have been testing me in all those areas. However, grief is also all-consuming. And yet, your classroom won't wait.

This past Tuesday my grandfather, my Tata, passed away. My dad ended up calling me at work to tell me, and I think at that point I would have loved to just drop everything and leave. But, I couldn't. Many people who are not teachers will not understand this. That's okay. Part of the purpose of my vlog is to show that teachers have lives outside of their job, but that our job is intertwined with our lives. A normal job would have told me to go home and perhaps given me some bereavement days, if I was lucky. My own husband was given days on my behalf for bereavement. Teaching does not afford such luxury. 

On top of everything I had conferences for the rest of the week every night til six o'clock. I pushed through because that's what I do. The alternative would have been more stress on my part, to reschedule every conference and to find times that would work for all my parents? Nightmare. 

So, in the end, the purpose of today's post it to outline some guidelines for bereaved colleagues.

1. Your colleague may be coming to work out of obligation, and may be talking to you and saying "Good Morning" to you, and acting normal all the while feeling terrible inside. Please keep this in mind.
2. Keep requests, small talk, and interactions brief unless they seem to be seeking out your company. 
3. Offer condolences and offer support. Ask your colleague if you can take something off their plate, Offer to take over a duty, bring them a treat, make copies for sub plans, etc. Don't feel rejected if your colleague doesn't immediately take you up on their offer, they might need a minute to think about it. 
4. After some time has gone by still check in with them, depending on who has passed on and their relationship to this person will dictate how long their grieving period will last. Again, they may be hiding their grief by acting normal, you never know.

If you have any more tips to add please comment below.

-Mae

These past few weeks have been a roller coaster. I have been prepping and preparing for my best friends wedding as her matron of honor, I've been battling being sick, and I've been trying to get through my classes for my provisional certificate. 

​-The Teaching Lifestyle