Weathering the Hard Weeks in Teaching

Here’s a quote, resource, and affirmation to help power you through the rest of the week.

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Quote

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” — Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

Resource

Every teacher faces seasons that feel like storms — weeks where everything hits at once, where plans fall apart, patience runs thin, and even small things feel heavy. Do you ever look around your class, sometimes in disbelief, at how many students are struggling to stay on task (maybe that was just me earlier this week)?

It’s easy to measure our strength by how well we hold it all together. But Murakami reminds us that storms are not tests of endurance alone — they’re experiences that reshape us.

These storms increase our empathy, deepen our purpose, and renew our perspective. It’s not about bouncing back; it’s about becoming.

In teaching, that might mean you:

• Develop stronger boundaries around rest.
• Learn to ask for help instead of pushing through.
• Discover new compassion for students who struggle.

Storms don’t leave us unchanged — they deepen our roots.

Now Repeat...

I may not control the storm, but I can trust the process. Each challenge is shaping me into someone wiser, calmer, and stronger.

Journal Prompt

What recent challenge has changed you for the better — even if it didn’t feel like it at the time?

You don’t have to emerge from every storm smiling. It’s enough to emerge — changed, grounded, and still willing to care.

With gratitude,

Jeremy