“I was socialized to believe that my pedagogy was going to rescue my Black students and students experiencing poverty from racism, classism, and other social ills. I was no longer human; I was a teacher,” Reid writes of the outsized expectations that are often placed on teachers’ shoulders.
Throughout Reid’s book are exercises including an “identity pie” to help teachers sort through the identities they think about most (e.g., race, age, sexuality), a chart to calculate how much time is allocated on teaching-related tasks during and outside of work hours, and prompts to explore how one’s teaching promotes the growth of students and responds to their challenges.
He asks teachers to remind themselves that they are humans, with needs, limitations, and possibilities—and that helping students reach their potential is difficult when you aren't at your best. “If even just one of us weren’t here, the whole world would shift. So, we must take care of ourselves, as we cannot be replaced.”
NYU News drew some lessons from Reid’s book about self-care, teaching with love, and persisting through challenging times.
On Love of Self
“For me, an overwhelming work week was not the only evidence that I was out of balance. I noticed upon reflection that I often skipped lunch, did not drink enough water throughout the day, and did not have enough moments to breathe and process.”
For Reid, a diagnosis of exhaustion after inexplicable symptoms led him to focus more on his well-being, and to encourage others to do the same. He emphasizes the need to care for one’s physical well-being (e.g., sleep, nutrition, hygiene, exercise); emotional well-being (therapy, breathing exercises, and journaling) and spiritual well-being (pursuing activities that spark joy, whether it’s listening to Mariah Carey or preparing a comforting meal).
“Cultivating a healthy sense of self-regard and attending to my overall well-being made me not only a much more joyful and peaceful human, but a much more effective human who teaches.”
