Part 2: Boundaries, Wellness and Building Community with Laurie McIntosh

Teacher wellness, that's one thing I know that you talk a lot about.

And so what do you think is something that teachers need to know more of how to take care of themselves?

Yeah.

I think we kind of touched on it a little, but I am just so much about boundaries.

I don't think I'm alone in the experience of being a child who went to school and learned the game of school.

I know that's not a unique experience to myself, but I don't think we have had enough conversations along the way about how boundaries are kindness And really their kindness to ourselves, their kindness to others.

Mm.

Um, my biggest boundary that people get sick of hearing me, my own colleagues get sick of hearing me say, but clear is kind, right? So when I'm entering conversations, I want to try and really make sure I'm being as clear as I can because I believe that's kindness.

It's kindness to myself and it's kindness to the person I'm engaged with.

That includes families of kids that I have the pleasure of being with.

So I think the big- the biggest part for me, like people will say, "How do you do it all?" I'm like, "I don't.

Nobody does.

That's not even possible." Instead of saying, which I would've normally said before, I, luckily I have a team, and that team, we do it together, which is true.

But really the accountability I take within that space now is I'm the queen of boundaries.

I will say no to the things that I know aren't what's best for our students.

I will say no to things that I know don't represent who, what I want to be in education and to be my authentic self.

I will say no to things that I can't see how they will benefit community.

And so I think having boundaries in place around my time and what I'm willing to take on has been a big shift, and an essential shift.

Because as somebody who struggles with mental health, it's been really easy to go and be Mrs. Mack in the classroom often.

It's a role I take on that helps me escape a lot of other hardships and a lot of other hard stories that live in my heart and in my head.

That has been a place of escape for me, but I am also very aware of that now, and I need to have those boundaries in place for myself that I don't just spend all of my time as Mrs. Mack.

I also need to be a mom.

I also need to be a wife and a, a daughter, um, and a friend.

I truly believe that the days I feel most successful as an educator are the days that I come home and have enough energy for the people I love and that love me the most.

Mm-hmm.