It’s ridiculous how happy jeans days make teachers.
Funding, legislation, timing, curriculum, programming, professional requirements, lack of respect, misperceptions, hefty demands, mountains of paperwork, and days of meetings can be discouraging.
Trying to please administration, colleagues, students, and parents can be downright crazy-making.
Doing all of this in fancy clothes day in and day out can be stifling—especially when your work requires your being on the floor, tying dirty shoes, playing on the playground, or wiping snotty noses.
So giving teachers the opportunity to wear jeans—to work in his/her comfort clothes—to do something special—well…it’s really nice.
Granted…we are asked to donate money to a good cause for most of these days: $2. [I’m reminded of scenes from the 80’s movie “Better Off Dead.” “I want my two dollars!”] But, somehow, still, it’s a privilege…
Especially when we know where the money is going.
My status this morning said, “While kids across the country are dressing up for Halloween and anxiously awaiting free candy, teachers at my school are dressing down for Thursday and happily giving money to support a coworker diagnosed with Leukemia. Halloween jeans have never felt this good.”
Shortly after school started, one of my coworkers was diagnosed with Leukemia. The diagnosis came out of nowhere and left many of us feeling punched in the gut. Our staff and students have responded with an outpouring of love through cards, visits, prayers, T-shirts, bracelets, and…jeans.
If you are reading this, I want to ask you to join me and the JES community in praying for Julie. She is a fighter. A woman of faith. A believer in miracles. A hoper in Peace. Pray for Julie’s healing of the body and spirit…and pray for the teachers in your life who give selflessly of themselves each day for hardly any money yet willingly give what they have for the simple pleasure of wearing jeans and supporting those they love.
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