This is Me: #SorryNotSorry

The greatest compliment I have ever received came from a teacher the first day of this school year.

"Hutch!" She waved.  "Have you seen Inside Out? I saw it and I was like, that's Kathleen Hutchinson!  You are Joy!"

I was flattered, nay, I was honored.  I had never thought of myself that way.  It's funny how others see us.  But, this may come as a shock, not everyone appreciates my... enthusiasm.  I am Joy.  I am Pinkie Pie.  I am funny, honest and energetic. I am loud, unapologetic and upbeat. However, more times than I have been compared to a Disney character in my job, I have been told to slow down, take it easy, pull back, cool it and tone it down.  I have been warned of burnout more than once. I have been told I'm too much, that I intimidate people.

Well, ya know what?  I AM NOT SORRY.  I may come across as silly, over-the-top or even dumb.  Sometimes I am.  I am a horrible speller and, until recently, I didn't know Julius Caesar was a real person (still unsure this is true.  Like REAL-real?  Maybe I knew this but it fell out of my head because I have to store way cooler stuff in there like song lyrics and movie quotes and fun facts I read online.)

Here's an honest confession: I GET NERVOUS.  People ask me: "how did you get up there in front over 800 people and be so energetic and fun!  I could never do that," they say.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE hearing myself talk.  It's my favorite sound in the world.  But I get so nervous in social situations that I just start talking, usually really quickly, and people mistake my awkwardness and inappropriateness for humor.  It's cool. Because the people that matter most know who and what I really am.

I am a teacher.  You might doubt my knowledge (I have like 5 college degrees) and you might doubt my skills (they are mad), but never doubt this: I care about kids. I will never back down, tone it down, slow down or simma' down (now) when it comes to students and their learning.  I ALWAYS want what is best for them.

If I don't fit your mold, that's fine.  I will find a mold one day.  Just like the Missing Piece.  And if not, I will, God willing, help students find their molds, what makes them happy, what makes them dance around, to shout and jump for joy.  Because, after all, isn't that what it's all about?