It's Okay To Be Not Happy

The many moods of the author.

This isn't going to be my most popular blog post. It occurs to me that connected educators - those educators who reflect on their work through blogging and engage in upbeat edchats on Twitter and sharing all their students' activities on Instagram - are relentlessly cheery. Like to the point that it's possible their not being real with themselves.

I've decided that I'm not going to single out any one super cheery individual - they know who they are, and for whatever the reason, they've determined they're not letting their bad mood out to breathe. If you're not sure who I'm talking about, just find anyone who talks about motivation, inspiration, making a difference, or being a superhero teacher (another chat covered this recently).

It's not that there's something wrong with a positive outlook, but let's face it. There are days that are hard. There are days that we don't want to get out of bed, and there are Sundays that seem to move way too quickly. The pay is small, and the demands are many. The gratitude comes intermittently. Fellow teachers throw each other under the bus, are resistant to change, seem unwilling to grow. There's any number of reasons to be in a bad mood, and each is valid.

I guess what I'm really saying is it's okay to be in a bad mood. No, you shouldn't let yourself get bogged down with bad moods. But you don't have to be unbearably chipper at all times. That's lying. And you're better than that.