This episode is part of the former Art Class Curator podcast and is targeted specifically for art teachers. 

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Like I said in last week’s episode, this summer, we’re focusing on getting a good feel for what teachers have gone through this year. What struggles you’ve had, and we want to acknowledge you for the work you've done and empathize with you for how hard that was. We also want to celebrate, but right now doesn’t feel like the right headspace for that. So this week I want to encourage you to take stock of the year.

In a survey we did, many shared that this year was a wake-up call, but they weren’t sure what they were waking up to. I think a lot of teachers are waking up to the fact that teaching has become toxic, that teaching has become too much to handle. They are expecting too much out of teachers, they are not respecting the work that we're doing, and they are not giving us the support that we need. This year, I heard story after story about districts giving webinars on self-care, telling teachers, “Don't forget self-care,”

And this summer, taking stock is a great way for teachers to practice self-care. 

3:01​ - Ways toxicity in public education took its toll

9:46 - Long history of lack of support for teachers boiling over

14:40 - Reflecting on your wake-up call from this year

19:53 - Positives that came out of the pandemic for educators this year

23:14 - How to make next school year different

Transcript at artclasscurator.com/67

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