You Can’t Pour Knowledge Into Young Minds From An Empty Cup

I was a new teacher at a middle school and was trying hard to balance work, home, and young children. I never did “homework” (the rest of my teaching duties) until my children were in bed. Then, I would routinely stay up until midnight refining lesson plans, grading papers, and scoring tests.

One morning, after being up most of the night with a fussy child, I was exhausted. I had a planning period for first period, so I put my head down on my desk “just for a minute” and promptly fell asleep. It was an open-classroom school, so my principal wandered in, observed me for a minute, and then put his hand on my shoulder.

Principal: “Go home.”

Me: *Protesting* “I’m fine!”

Principal: “You look exhausted, and you need rest. I will handle things here.”

I will never forget him for that kind gesture, and I have tried to have the same compassion for my students.