The Beautiful Struggles Of Teaching

By Naim Sanders

The Beautiful Struggles of Teaching is a new book written specifically with teachers and educators in mind! It is a deep insightful look at the real struggles teachers encounter on a regular basis as they serve students, families and their communities. The contents of the book are relevant topics that are rarely discussed but constantly present in the classroom, in schools and in the lives of teachers. I provide my perspectives to readers about struggles teachers are up against, how to effectively face them and successfully overcome the struggles to live a healthy life as a teacher while positively impacting the lives of student.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naim Sanders
• Release date: Jul 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781798583227

Naim Sanders

Mr. Naim Sanders has served children,teachers  and families in the field of education for over 21 years as a teacher, principal, charter school developer and leader.  He has worked as an educational consultant with the Ohio Department of Education, adjunct professor for Notre Dame College and faculty supervisor for Grand Canyon University.  Mr. Sanders is the author of several books including: The Beautiful Struggles Of Coming Of Age, The Beautiful Struggles Of Teaching, The Beautiful Struggles Of Teaching Workbook and A Sacred Place For Learning: Teaching, Leading & Culture. Currently he is working to earn his doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership.

Book preview

Dedication

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To God who has blessed me with the ability to write, reflect, think and so much more.

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To all the great teachers that I have had the opportunity of serving, growing with and learning from throughout the years. 

Chapters       Pages

Introduction       pg. 7

The Right Attitude      pg. 11

Talents & Gifts       pg. 15

You Are Not Perfect      pg. 19

Generational Influencers     pg. 23

Run Your Own Race      pg. 27

Peaks & Valleys      pg. 30

Thoughts, Words & Destiny     pg. 33

Beliefs & Values       pg. 35

Seasons of Emotions      pg. 37

Mental Health       pg. 41

Don’t Take It Personally     pg. 44

Let It Be       pg. 47

Telling the Truth       pg. 49

Body Language Says A Lot     pg. 51

Deep Awareness & Understanding    pg. 55

Embrace the Process      pg. 59

You Are a Leader Too      pg. 62

Avoid Isolation       pg. 64

Find the Humor       pg. 67

Stay Inspired       pg. 69

Be Fearless       pg. 71

Be Prepared       pg. 74

Root of the Problem      pg. 76

Effective Relationships > Effective Rules   pg. 78

Brilliantly & Wonderfully Created    pg. 81

Conclusion       pg. 83

Reflection Notes      pg. 85

About the Author      pg. 111  

Introduction

A lot about what is most beautiful about the world arises from struggle. 

-Malcolm Gladwell

There is no doubt about it, teaching is a hard profession for tough people with creative minds, generous souls, strong will power and loving hearts!  At the beginning of every school year you are full of excitement, energy, creativity and a desire to better your students while improving the world that we live in.  You are eager to learn about the latest instructional strategies, pedagogy, assessment tools, classroom management techniques and actively engaging in professional development. Teachers spend countless hours meticulously setting up their classrooms, putting up bulletin boards, shopping for new items and inviting family and friends to join in on the process.  Then, after a few weeks or months (depending on where you teach) the struggle of the job hits you, the honeymoon phase comes to an end and the excitement that is felt at the beginning of the year slowly dwindles away.  You find yourself being challenged by some uncooperative students who begin to show their real personalities, parents may begin to voice their concerns (some legitimate, some not so legitimate), your principal’s demands about student achievement heightens and you begin to question what you are doing, where you are at and who you are as a professional and maybe as a person.  For some, this is an on-going cycle that occurs for decades.  For others, it leads to despair year after year until retirement. Some choose to change schools in search of a better environment while others just leave the profession all together in pursuit of another profession. The courageous teachers choose to remain steadfast in their passion, their love for teaching and most importantly their students.  I have seen this pattern happen to the best of them and I would be remiss if I didn’t say it hasn’t happened to me as well as an educator at some point in my career.  There are many struggles associated with teaching and there is no way to list them all.  I don’t think that many of the struggles will stop, in fact I believe personally that as society changes, the demands on teachers will become harder.  Teachers are faced with more challenges now than they ever have been throughout history, in my opinion. Some of these challenges include, but are not limited to, dealing with mental health issues, technology integration, social media influences, fewer resources with higher demands, more complex state testing (depending on the state) and the high expectations of being more to students than just a teacher. 

I wrote this book for several reasons.  First, I love and support teachers and their struggles, I believe that teachers do not get enough credit for the wonderful things they do, and they receive too much blame for what is not in their control.  In working with teachers for nearly 20 years, I see firsthand how difficult their jobs are and have experienced it as a former teacher.  Secondly, I want to encourage as many committed teachers to continue to get better and strive to be the best that they can be for as long as they choose to serve students.  I know in our society there are bad people who have made some horrible choices and they were teachers.  This has painted negative images in the media and public on all teachers.  My intent is not to defend individuals who make horrific decisions and who misrepresent the profession.  This book is not for them or in support of unethical behaviors.  I firmly believe that the masses of teachers do a great job in educating their students and often serve in additional unpaid roles as parents, mentors, counselors, social workers and much more. 

In The Beautiful Struggles of Teaching I want to inspire hard working and dedicated educators to continue the fight in the struggle and be enthused as you carry on with the great work you do for humanity.  I feel that we don’t do enough for teachers and for the services they perform.  We choose to pay millions of dollars to athletes and entertainers for entertaining us with their athletic performances, but some of the lowest paid professionals (depending on the state you live in) are those with the greatest responsibility of educating our future.  Many people outside of teaching will argue that teachers get summer breaks and extended holiday vacations, but those people clearly don’t understand the work of teachers. I make the argument that the level of intensity and demands in which teachers work far exceeds many other professions.  Teachers are required to produce results without excuses under circumstances they do not always have control over.  Their success in the classroom is greatly influenced by things they have little to no control over and in systems that they have not created.  We need to invest more in teachers with greater pay, increased resources, relevant professional development and additional supports. Next to being parents or guardians, teachers spend the most amount of time influencing future generations, so the investment is well worth it. 

You won’t find much research written in this book, it is simply my words of encouraging teachers and identifying some of the struggles they will face and not learn about in their formal college education.  Learning how to be an effective teacher is best done with on the job training in order to be successful.  The struggle is beautiful because of the effect that teachers have on the lives of students, the worthiness of the challenges they face and the internal impact.  If you are a teacher, you may not see all of the fruits of your labor, you may not witness the blossoming of the seeds you planted and you definitely may not always get the thank you that you deserve.  Despite all that, the struggle continues and will remain.  The struggle is real, and it is not