Joy ride

It was Friday, and three months had passed since we started our formal teaching job.

Eight months earlier, we had graduated and taken the licensure examination for professional teachers.

As newcomers, we were surprised that pedagogical theories are challenged in the real educational landscape. Acclimating, we found other situations difficult to navigate. One of us had a car that was being tested for a Formula 1 race. We all hopped in after work; then, when we reached the highway, he screeched the tires! That was the signal. We opened the windows of the car; we screamed and shouted our frustrations at the top of our lungs.

That was the first time I realized how important mental and emotional health is for educators.