The Permission Slip

Teachers wait for permission. Permission to leave at contract time. Permission to say no to another committee. Permission to not respond to that email at 9 PM.

Permission to not be perfect.

But here's the thing about permission: The people you're waiting to give it to you... aren't coming.

The district won't give you permission to have boundaries. The principal won't give you permission to prioritize your health. The parents won't give you permission to be human. Because they need you to keep doing what you're doing.

So you have two choices: Keep waiting for permission that won't come. Or give it to yourself.

Nobody's coming to rescue you from burnout. Nobody's coming to tell you it's okay to protect your time, your energy, your life. That permission slip has to come from you.

You already know what you need to do. You're just waiting for someone to tell you it's allowed.

Consider this your sign.

This is the work we do in The STRONG Teacher's Lounge - giving ourselves permission to be sustainable, not superhuman.