How to Handle Pushback When You Set Healthy Teacher Boundaries

Are you nervous about setting boundaries at school because you're worried about pushback? You're not alone! In this episode, we tackle one of the most common concerns I hear from educators: "What happens when I start setting boundaries and people push back?" Whether it's passive-aggressive comments from colleagues or pressure from administrators, I'm sharing real strategies to help you stand firm with confidence and grace.

✨ In This Episode You'll Discover:

• 🔑 Why the person who complains most about your boundaries was likely benefiting most from their absence
• 🌟 The "secret sauce" for responding to administrator pushback (hint: it's all about the students!)
• 💪 How to handle passive-aggressive comments from colleagues with professionalism
• 🎯 Why setting boundaries is like having lines on the road - essential for everyone's safety
• 🌱 The truth about boundary-setting being a muscle that gets stronger with practice

🚀 Key Takeaways:

• 📝 Your basic rights as an educator (yes, you have them!)
• 🎭 How to respond to the dreaded "team player" guilt trip
• 💡 Why pushback isn't a sign you're doing something wrong - it's a sign of positive change
• 🌈 Real-world examples from my 20+ years in education
• ⏰ Professional ways to protect your time without burning bridges

💫 Remember: When you invest in healthy boundaries, everyone benefits - your students get a more energized, creative, and present teacher, and you get to have a more balanced, fulfilling life.

Don't forget to grab your ultimate guide to saying "No" ⬇️

Want to truly thrive in teaching without sacrificing your personal life?
Check out my signature on-demand course, Balance Your Teacher Life. You can go the self-study route or join a cohort with group coaching for Summer 2025.

Check out all the details here: www.gracestevens.com/balance

📘 My latest (and greatest!) book:
The Empowered Teacher Toolkit
Check out the best-selling Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers book here
Beat Teacher Burnout with Better Boundaries book here

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Transcript

  OK, teacher friends, here I am. You may be wondering where I was last week. Well, let me tell you. I was teaching TK, Transitional Kindergarten. That's where I was last week. And, you know, it was magical. It was kind of an accident that it happened. It was supposed to just be, it wasn't even supposed to be that.

It was supposed to be something else, then it was half a day, and then it was two days, and then it was two weeks. And I was super happy to help this particular teacher out who was going through going through a personal tragedy. Anyway, so that's where I was. I literally  You know those four year olds.

Woo! They got the best of me, I'll tell you that. And I don't mean that they, I really mean that. Like, I gave all my best energy that I possibly had to them and I had nothing left to give to anybody else. So, anyway, here we are. Also, quick you are gonna love today's episode. It is an answer to a question I get so much. 

Which is, once I start setting these boundaries, what happens when I get pushback? And I think I get that question actually more from people who are nervous about setting judge boundaries. Nervous about judgment from peers, from administrators. I get that more from people who are afraid of trying it.

from people who actually tried it and got that feedback. Okay. So that's the first thing. So I'm, it's going to be a fantastic episode. It's going to help you with that. But I just want to mention one other thing before we get started. I tweaked the name of the podcast just a little bit and the cover art for a bunch of reasons, kind of a fresh look a fresh take on the title and I haven't got around to.

making a new jingle yet. So don't be confused. You are in the right place. If you are in education in any capacity and you want to have a better experience, not just of education, but of life in general, I promise you, you're in the right place. You've found your home in the podcast universe. So when we get into it, this week's episode is standing firm on your boundaries.

When you get pushback, how do we do it? Is it a bad thing? Heck no, it is not. It is just the natural reaction to change. It's the way of the world. Listen, you will be all right, I promise you. Let's get into it. Can't wait to see you in the inside.  Welcome to the Balance Your Teacher Life podcast,  where we talk all things avoiding educator burnout, setting healthy boundaries, and achieving better work life balance. 

If you're passionate about education, but tired of it consuming your whole life, You have found your home in the podcast universe. I'm your host, Grace Stevens, and let's get going with today's show. 

Okay. Has this ever happened to you again? I get this question a lot, but it's more from people who are afraid of it. Okay. But this is how it shows up.  You've started to set boundaries. Especially when it comes to around your time, how many extra things you're taking on, how much of the heavy lifting you're doing for your team.

You start to set some boundaries and there's two ways that it shows up.  One is kind of in a passive aggressive way. This is going to be with your co workers where they, you know,  they're not going to come right out and say it, but they'll be like, Oh, huh. Leaving already. Must be nice. Right, that's how that shows up, right?

Oh, oh,  I came in to see you at 4. 15 yesterday, but you'd already left. Yeah, of course you did. Contract time was ended at 3. 30, but you're not going to say that. Alright, so that's one way it shows up. Is the co workers on your team or worse? I mean, if they're on your team, you know, valid. But, you know, usually it's the busybodies on campus.

You know, the car park police, people spending more time worrying about, oh, what time other people are leaving, then buckling down and getting their work done so that they can leave on time. Right. So that's the first place is with coworkers and peers. We're going to address that. And then the other more legitimate concern is  your administrator.

Right?  That are disappointed shocked. You know, oh, oh, I thought you were a team player. Right? They're going to throw that team player at you. So, how are you going to deal with that? Alright, so, we, I'm going to get into those two specific things. specific scenarios and give you, you know, strategies, scripts, things to empower you, right?

But let's back up first of all. Let's back up and say this is not necessarily a bad thing, right? When you start to set healthy boundaries, Right? It's hard enough to kind of get the courage to try it out, but then the real test comes when someone pushes back. Right? So I want to give you an example from my own  It really sticks out because it was a really this person was what I'm going to call a boundary bully.

Okay. So I worked in a really small school and I think I've shared this story before, not on this podcast, but possibly in a book or with some coaching I did. But anyway, I don't care if the person's still around and they know who they are, shame on them.  Oh, it was actually an acting superintendent for our small school.

We didn't have a principal at the time. It's a long old story. Anyway he came up to me and said he'd put me on to head up this LPAC committee, which is English Language Learner Acquisition something, something, something. Okay, so here's the crazy thing about this. I worked in a school very heavily on the Hispanic side, right?

So if we were giving this test that we had to do you know, to for kids to, I can't remember what the word is, like kind of graduate out of the needing their ELL services, whatever, you have to give this test at the end of every year.  And So, there were many people on campus who were fluent in Spanish, in addition to the students.

You know what? I was not one of them. What, what sense did it make to send me to be head of this committee when I didn't even speak the language of the major schools? stakeholders, parents, children, right? Just, it made no sense. And so he said, and it was a big commitment, I would need to get you know, a substitute in my class for a significant amount of time when I was testing the kids, going to get trained, doing all the things.

I was also teacher in charge. That meant that if he wasn't around you know, and I used to have to play principal.  So I already had a lot on my plate. And I told him I didn't feel that, you know, I was the best resource for that. Thank you for considering me. So but, okay. So I told him that. So then another time he comes up to me again.

Now this was just a verbal discussion. I should have asked him to put the request in writing, right? I know better now. Now I know better put it in writing and then I would have refused in writing so I had a paper trail. So he asked me again another time and I said remember I said I was not, you know, interested in doing that.

I'm sure there are other people who would be better for that but at this point, you know, it's a no with all the other things I have going on. Thank you for thinking about me. So the third time he asked me, Even more aggressively. Now, I'm a very small woman. Well, I'm not small, I'm short, right? He was a very, very tall man, very large man, physically intimidating.

And he caught me, as usually you get caught, right, on your way somewhere, right? That you don't have time to really get into a discussion. I was picking up kids from somewhere. So, you know, you can't leave kids in a line unsupervised. That's where all the drama happens, right?  So he probably knew that, so I'm running with my copies of my, you know,  I've just filled up my water glass, I'm balancing that with my keys and everything else and he comes up to me  and he says, I want to tell you about the training and reminding you  that it's coming up next week and so I said to him, gosh, sir, I won't say his name, I'm, well I would like to remind you that I've already said no to that three times and it's not, you know, in my contract, it's not something that I'm required to do And I have been pretty clear about not having an interest in doing it.

So I don't know what else you need to hear from me. So he kind of backed me up against the wall physically. Honestly, like I'm sure, you know, I was the first two times I said no, I was much more articulate, right? I know how to do it, how to give a student focused reason, you know, all the things. But he was just being a bully at that point.

And lucky for me, somebody else was walking by who was also, the head she was our union rep. And so I called her over and I said, stand here. I said, you know what? I said, I feel like I need a witness for a minute because this, you know, I'm telling Mr. Such and such that I'm not the best candidate for this thing he wants me to do.

And I don't want to do it. And he is for some reason not understanding that I'm saying no. So I want a witness. And so she said, yes. Okay. Well then, Hey, Mr. Such and such put the request in writing. Right, so she had her wits about her. So, she kind of wanted to hang around until he left and I said, I've got to get back to class, like, the kids are in line, you know, that was a great idea, put it to me in writing and I can, you know, give you all my reasons in writing for saying no.

And as I walked away, he said, fine, then I'll just move you to kindergarten.  I was a third grade teacher.  Okay, so how ridiculous is that? How, first off, how childish.  Secondly, you know, that's a veiled threat. Thirdly,  Who are you, you idiot, not to know that maybe kindergarten is my ideal assignment. So I just turned around and smiled at him, gave him my biggest smile and said, you know what, that would be awesome.

Well, he went off in a huff and he was somebody who didn't hide his emotions very well. He was obviously very frustrated. But anyway, I kind of, you know what, got scared like, oh my gosh, you know, now he's Obviously, in the mood to retaliate, threatening to move my grades where I was teaching. Anyway, all that to say, you know what, it didn't go well, but it just made me more determined.

If he had come back to me the first time, if he had been, you know, more You know, higher on his EQ, right, on his emotional intelligence. If he could read the room better, he would have known you could guilt me into things quicker than you can order me into things. I'm gonna, the way, his approach just made me double down and dig in my heels.

If he'd have said to me, look, You know, we really isn't anyone else just help me, you know, like how you get guilted into stuff, right? So anyway, so he was a boundary bully. So what if you have boundary bullies? I'm gonna tell you he was the only one in my whole career and my career was over 20 years Okay, there were some parents who tried to be boundary bullies.

There were certainly some co workers But you know, it's like a muscle the more you set boundaries in a, you know, loving, appropriate way Sweet way. We know that setting boundaries is a positive  thing to do. Letting people know your needs and preferences. These are all important things. I've done so many episodes  on that, right?

I always say setting the boundary is like having the lines in the road. If we don't have lines in the road, It is chaos on the freeway, right? People don't know and they're cutting you off and they're, you know, we know where the, the hard shoulder is, where that rumble strip strip is. That's like our non-negotiables.

That's when we are being asked to do something unethical or dangerous. There's no way we're gonna do it. But in between that rumble strip and those five other lanes, there should be lane markers as to your preferences and your needs. And your desires,  right? And so, setting boundaries is a good thing. Okay.

So I don't want any, but it is a muscle that gets better over time. I refined my technique. And  you know, it was never comfortable for me. I was always a people pleaser, always, always, always. And you know, I'm a better person, better parent, better teacher, better everything for setting some boundaries in my life.

So that's just an example from my life when I had a boundary bully at school. And I really don't think you're ever going to have anything that extreme. Because hopefully you work for somebody who is professional and not vindictive. Okay? And he is no longer superintendent of that school. Fun fact,  before he was pushing, I'm not going to go there, I'm going to take the high road.

Okay.  So let's look at these three things. Before I tell you I handled that situation poorly, right? That's what I'm telling you. That's the moral of the whole story is I handled it poorly. There is a better way to handle it. But before we get into the way to handle it, what to say, I want to remind you that there are three things  really important before we get to the actual strategies that I want you to remember.

Okay. And the first one is this. It does get easier. It is a muscle. We were never taught how to set boundaries. It's not a lesson we had at school, but not only that, we probably had very few role models in our life. If you were like me, I had an immigrant mother who You know, just English was not her first language and just, you know, not a lot of role models. 

You know, I was taught to be quiet, like be quiet, do what you've told, be a good girl. Right. We know this. Okay. So but it is a muscle like anything else. Okay. So it'll get easier. Right. It'll get easier. So that's number one. I want to remind you. Number two, in case nobody else has told you today.  You, just like every human in every job,  this isn't just for teachers and for nurses and everything else.

Every human has some basic rights and those basic rights are you have a right to have needs and preferences. Okay, you have a right to say no to others as long as it's not something that's, you know,  part of your job. I'm not saying no to say things that part of your job. I'm saying when you want to set boundaries on, I'm just not going to be the martyr who works 60 hours a week and takes on every day. 

project on campus, right? When other people are leaving at three o'clock. Okay. So you have the right, I made a mistake. It's okay. I could course correct. You have the right to change your mind just because you took on a particular duty every year for the last two decades, you know, yearbook, graduation, field day, whatever it is, you can change your mind.

Somebody else can have that opportunity to learn. For me, you know, I was the SST coordinator after school.  The years and years and years, right? I, I changed my mind. I didn't want to do that anymore. Right? You have a right to voice your opinion. Right? You have a right to be treated with respect.  And  you have a right to set boundaries.

Right? As long as you can communicate them in  a good way. Not in a like I said this. terrible childish way that that  other, the principal, it wasn't principal, the superintendent was behaving, right? And you have a right to prioritise your self care without being Feeling like you're selfish. Okay,  so that's the rights that every teacher has, that every human has, right?

So these are your rights. Okay, it's a muscle that's going to get easier, right? The more you do it. Now I always coach people don't start with your biggest boundary hurdle anywhere in your life. Start with some small ones till you get your C legs. Right. Okay. And then you have a right. And I just want to remind you the third point before I get into the strategies is remember setting boundaries is about your behavior. 

It's about what you're going to do, what you're going to accept,  what you're going to do. It's not about controlling or manipulating others, okay? So I've had many episodes about how to set boundaries. You can go back to listen to some of them. Let me tell you in particular the one about like, Boundary rules, boundary basics, how to say no.

Let me throw out a few numbers at you. So if let's say this was the first time you ever listened to my podcast. And you're like, well, that sounds great. Tell us how to set the boundary in the first place. Okay. Let me tell you some episode numbers. Hold on.  All right, here are some episodes. Go back to lesson episode 48.

Yeah, they really are lessons, right? Rejecting extra duties that people are expecting of you, right? You can go back way back to, I think like episode two was about the secret sauce of saying no, which I'm going to review for you again. But what if it's something that people are expecting of you? How do you Say what I, do what I call is a yes and yes with limitations, right?

Let's say, here's the example I always give you, the science teacher, science fair, science camp, you know,  you're expected to do that because you're the science teacher. What if science camp one year, whatever, just for whatever reason that you want to maybe not do the fundraising for science camp, right?

How can you say, You know what? I can help with that, but with these limitations. Okay, so that's episode 48. Episode 59. I did in time for back to school, but you can go back to it. How to set up a complete boundary plan for the year. Now you're not listening to this likely at back to school you're gonna say, oh my gosh, but the years already started.

We're already a trimester in, doesn't matter.  You can, you can update your terms and conditions.  When it comes to communicating boundaries with parents and having, you know, here's when I'm available, here's when I'm not available, all those things, you can, you know, just like, I like to think of it like, you know, when Apple's like, here,  We've updated our terms and conditions, like you've got to say yes because you want to keep using your phone, right?

So you can update your terms and conditions, right? So just because it isn't beginning of the year doesn't mean you can't do things differently. And that's the same with everything, your classroom rules, your classroom management plan. Whatever isn't working, fix it.  Don't wait till next year to fix it.

And then episode 21, 71, 12 rules for setting boundaries at school and at home. Okay? So I'm only going to talk about the school examples here, but you better if you've changed if you've set some boundaries at home around how many chores you do, the division of labor about all kinds of things that you might have set boundaries with.

Of course you are going to get some pushback. That is only normal. It's kind of like growing pains. Other people are going to take some time to get on board. Let me just point this out. The person who complains the most about you setting healthy boundaries is the person who benefited the most. from your lack of boundaries in the past. 

I'm gonna let that sink in for a minute.  You need me to say it again?  Sorry friends, it's just the truth.  The person, whether that's your mother, your spouse, your, whatever, your boss in this case, whoever is complaining the most about you setting healthier boundaries is the person who was profiting the most from you not having boundaries before. 

Okay?  Alright. Bye.  Listen, we're just like students, like, who resist new rules. Adults can struggle too, right? But you gotta stay firm because you've set this boundary from a belief that when you have healthier boundaries, when you invest in your self care, when you don't show up to life resentful, exhausted, overwhelmed, then everybody benefits. 

Okay, that's what you need to hold on to. Everybody benefits from you having healthier boundaries, not just.  You. Okay? That's my whole, your energy teaches more than your lesson plans. Okay, how you show up matters. All right. So those are the three things to keep in mind  before I get to the actual strategies.

So, Grace, what are we going to do about it? Okay. So let's talk about the first case scenario, which I said was co workers. And mostly  that shows up kind of passive aggressive. Again, the comments, ha, must be nice, or ha, I notice you've been leaving early, right? So first off, you know,  be empathetic, understand that that has Probably very little to do with you and a lot to do with them. 

They might, quite frankly, be jealous, envious that you are managing to manage your time better than them. Okay? You don't need to say that. You're not going to say to them, Oh, you're just jealous. Okay? But just understand that taking it personally  is not going to help. Okay? It isn't about you. Their pushback is less about you and just more about their adjustment to your limits.

All right? I like to say this, this is kind of like, I like to say it's like a thermostat in the room, right? People might not know what it is. They don't know how to put their finger on it.  when you start setting healthier boundaries but they feel the temperature change. Maybe you were the person on your team who took on everything.

I got it, I'll do it, I'll make the copies, I'll organize the field trip, I'll do this, oh someone needs to come in early for that, I'll do it, you know, and now you're burnt out, bummed out and you decided why is it always me? You're starting to set some boundaries and yes, people are going to feel the temperature change.

All right. So first off, normalize this experience, right? It's just pushback is a sign that you're making positive change. How nice people have noticed, right?  But number two, just  be kind.  Be kind. Here's what I've felt.  I always start with I've noticed. I make it about me, not about them. Okay, it's not about the other person about me.

And I'll just say something like, you know what? Hey, yeah, I have been living on time. I've been working really hard on that. Right? Let people know that's intentional. Yeah, I've been working really hard on that. Making sure that when I'm here, I'm super focused so I can leave at a more reasonable hour. 

Because I've noticed, right? I've noticed that when I leave on time and I set boundaries on how much I work and I'm not dragging work home with me, I have more time to do other things in my life and have a more complete life. You know what I've found? I'm a better teacher.  I'm a better teacher. I'm better in the classroom.

I'm better out the classroom and it makes for a better day for the students. Right? That's it. That's all they need to know. Recognize, hey, yeah, hey, thanks for noticing. That might seem a little passive aggressive back, right? But you could say, you know what? Yeah, I've been working really hard on that, getting out of here.

And I've noticed when I, when I  Stay focused at work. You're letting them know. It's not that you're not doing your work. It's just that you're not, you know, standing around the, for whatever reason, you've set some healthy boundaries. You manage to be more productive at work. And that is the truth. The less time you spend at work, if you know that you have a hard stop at four o'clock, you're not  spending time on the internet or doing other things, chatting at the water cooler.

You're getting your work done because you have a hard stop at four o'clock.  Okay, but I always go with it. You know what? I've noticed I'm a better teacher when,  when I set boundaries on how long I stay at school, when I make sure my life is full in all areas, I show up less resentful, more rested, more creative, more energetic.

It's just I'm a better teacher. It's what I need to do to be a better teacher. All right? You could keep it as simple as that. It's what I need to do to be a better teacher.  Now, different if they're saying, you know, well, you haven't done this and you haven't done that. I'm not talking about a situation where you've let your teammates down.

I'm talking about just that. You know what it is. You hear it. People are like, oh, I noticed you haven't been around that much before. Okay, so that's how you do it with colleagues. I've noticed I'm a better teacher this way. Okay. Now, With administrators, we know that our secret sauce when declining something is not to make it about  us.

Oh, my contract doesn't say this. The union's told me not to take on additional  duties. That's happened to me in the past. Very stressful. One of the duties I took on was tutoring. Well, now I can't tutor kids. Like I want to tutor kids. I like to tutor kids. I don't feel like the union should tell me I can't tutor kids.

Right.  So as we don't want to make about the union on contract, we want, ready? Who's the, what's the secret sauce? You should know this by now, if you're a frequent listener, a student focused reason. You're going to double down on the student focused reason. I mean, if you are if a, you're asked to take on something and it's not something that you want to do, you know, thanks for thinking of me.

and give the student focused reason. As you may be aware, this year I have a,  you know, a high amount of students, and that's, this is where you throw in your academic jargon. I'm like anti jargon person, but you know all the things that your campus Your school site plan shoves down your throat every year academic rigor you know, whatever the hot buttons are for your campus, PLCs you know, student achievement, closing the gap, you know, all those things, right?

That's where you're throwing the jargon. Like, you may be aware that That this year I have a lot of students who are academically not at the benchmark. I feel any extra time I have needs to be dedicated to getting them up to speed. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Right. That will reflect positively on the school test scores.

Right. You can let remind your administrator that it's  going to reflect. There's other ways that you can reflect well on him now or her. Remembering  that if you get pushback from an admin, it's going to be one or two things. One is they're going to be bummed because honestly, if you've always said yes to everything, you're a convenient choice.

They just want to get on with their day. It is an item to check off their list. I knew it was an item to check off his list. The other superintendent who was going to head up this LPAC team  check.  Stephens is going to do it. No, she is not.  So this was one of the strategies back on episode 48 when you're rejecting things that people are expecting you to do, not just the out of the blue request requests.

And so some of that would be, you know, succession planning or basically fix the problem for them. If you're not the solut If you don't want to be the solution, just help them fix the problem. They'll get off your back. So, hey, you know what? I'm not available to do all of this. However, Right? Think. If it's a duty you want to give up that you've always had, you know, Oh, field day.

You don't want to get guilted into the kids won't have a field day if you don't do it. Okay, so  This person has expressed an interest. This person has expressed an interest. I'm willing to oversee this year in a short, in a, you know, in a in a smaller capacity making, right, just  A succession plan volunteering to oversee it to make sure that it, it works out okay.

Just help your admin solve the problem. So that's number one, right? Because they just have a problem they need to be solved. Another one is when they throw this team player at you, you know, you've just, I'm sure there's a million examples you have. You don't want to sound defensive, but sometimes it helps just to say, you know what, I am the team player, but I can't be the whole team. 

I can't be the whole team.  Like I already have taken on so many things and I feel that my core competency, which is showing up as my best self for my students is going to get jeopardized if I take on one more thing. All right. Student focused reason. And there should not be an administrator in the world who can argue with you for not putting your students first.

That's your job, that's what you were hired for. There's nothing wrong with saying, you know what, my plate is literally too full right now. Right? Here's how I can support you within my limits. I mean, hey and, and give them something if they really feel they need something. Okay, well, hopefully you have found something in there that is helpful.

But I, again, I want to tell you, I, you know, my example was extreme, you know, to get your attention.  It's true. It happens. And I could have handled it better, but it's okay. That's when I was at the beginning of my boundary setting journey. It got easier. And I, but I want to tell you that people who ask me these questions, what am I going to do when there's pushback?

What am I going to do when there's pushback? These are the people who haven't tried setting the boundaries yet. I've, I've, literally, in all the people I've coached to help set boundaries, one person came to me and said exactly what their teammate, which had said, which was just the passive aggressive must be nice.

So it's not, you know, people will have respect for you as long as you learn to do it in a professional way. Go back, listen to all the episodes where I set you up for success with that. Okay, listen, I'm all about the empowerment. Okay, I know I covered a lot, I hope you're feeling empowered to stand firm on your boundaries even when pushback comes your way.

So, let's just recap a couple of takeaways. First,  pushback isn't a sign you're doing something wrong, it's just a natural reaction to change. Okay, staying grounded in the knowledge that your boundaries are about protecting your energy, so that you can show up for your best self for you, students, and in your personal life.

Right? This benefits everybody, not just you, okay?  And then, you know, this is a skill you will build over time, right? It's like a muscle. Every time you enforce a boundary, you're strengthening that muscle and you're teaching others, you know, how to respect your limits, right? Celebrate those small wins. Give yourself grace to learn and grow and when something does go well and you set a small boundary and it goes well,  be happy about that.

Okay, you have been doing things the other way for decades.  This is not something, again, you know, and this is  Just a, a, a plea to people who have been over givers, over functioners and, and just martyring themselves at the,  at the, this altar of self sacrifice, I just want to tell you, please just think about it. 

The person,  the people, whoever they are, who give you the most grief and the most pushback once you start sending boundaries, all the people.  who profited the most from you not having any. So that's, you're just going to have to marinate on that thought. That might need more help than I can offer in a 30 minute podcast.

But anyway, All right, I applaud you for listening, for showing up from yourself, for being committed to being a teacher who wants positive change, not just for yourself, but knowing that ultimately it will affect your students. And even if it didn't. Even if it was you want to learn some skills in personal growth, in, in personal, you know, accountability, taking control for the areas of your life that you can control so you have a better life experience.

That is totally valid and important and worthy  and I applaud you for it. Because it's not the easy work. You know what the easy thing is?  Pick up your phone and look for distraction.  That's, that's the, that's the path of least resistance. Yeah, let me go check out some social media and feel crappy about myself or play some online games to kind of just distract and numb myself.

If you're listening into this show, it's because you want to do better and be better and have more in terms of peace and productivity in your life. And and for your students. So I applaud that. All right. Until next time, create your own path, bring your own sunshine, and I will talk to you again  soon.