In case you were wondering...

A few things worth clarifying: Why do Katy Divergent and I sometimes sound the same? Am I writing as a mother or as an educator?

Katy Divergent and I are both nerdy nerds: We love researching educational topics and how to give students different strategies to be successful. There was a period of time where we were both chairing committees devoted to addressing students’ learning needs. I was facilitating meetings for a student assistance team and Katy was working and hosting teams devoted to students who required additional testing evaluations, services, or classes. Because nerdy nerds always recognize other nerdy nerds (usually people who sparkle at the mention of studies or research), we often discussed what we were reading or finding in graduate school classes. At the start of one school year, Katy and I decided to co-host meetings for students whom the educational team (including parents) had concerns about their academic success or progress. We felt, together, we could offer informal interventions, strategies, and dialogue for students. If additional testing and services were warranted, Katy could set up additional meetings. If interventions were successful, students were back on track for learning and we called it a day. One of our first questions for students was almost always: Tell us how you organize your school work.

I am horrible at changing hats. I have always defined my sense of self from my career. Of course, I didn’t realize this problem for years. I am a teacher and I enjoy my job. But I am also a wife, mother, daughter, and friend…those roles shouldn’t be determined by my career. I didn’t realize this could be problematic until my son was in a challenging situation in elementary school. My son’s father and I both are educators. We have prided ourselves on being understanding of the demands placed on teachers and empathizing with his teachers. All of this was well and good until he needed me to be his Mama Bear. Guess what happened when I needed to be Mama Bear? I cried my eyes out and left him in a bad situation for months too long. The exact situation isn’t important and I am not here to criticize that teacher—but know: I sucked at changing my teacher hat in for my mom hat. I also enjoy being an educator and am obsessive about following guidelines for student privacy: So don’t expect me to post about student or classroom specifics from my life. That simply isn’t going to happen. You will find posts that present strategies and issues that impact my children, children everywhere, and are important because I care about education.   

Rachel Divergent is a wife, mother, and educator. She is passionate about literacy, the brain, and Lilly Pulitzer.