At one point in your career, I bet you had at least one good boss. The ones that were never around. The ones that left you alone because they trusted you. The ones that were there if you needed them.
I’m lucky to have a few of them.
So I was doing my thing this morning… teaching 10 minutes into class. Guess who shows up for the first time? Boss lady. The cool thing about teaching so early in the morning is the bosses never show up. It’s too early.. that’s why they let someone else teach them. Now, I used to fret all the time when another teacher decides to show up in class because they want to “check me out.” But this person is not only an awesome teacher, but she’s also boss lady. How did I feel?
She plops right in front because there’s no other place to set up. Ut oh! She can see me from any angle in the room because there are those dang mirrors!
How many of you teachers out there suffer from a low grade misery when there’s another teacher or boss person taking your class? You’re trying to be perfect. You’re trying to impress. You’re trying so hard that you forget about the students who also might be in a low grade misery because you’ve lost track of how long they’ve been holding warrior 2. Yikes! Now you’re thinking about how much the students are hating you now and that you’re possibly looking like an incompetent teacher in front of another teacher. ARGH!
What should you do? B-R-E-A-T-H-E of course! There’s no other place to be than right there feeling what you’re feeling. Then SNAP out of it! Out of your story that is. It’s not about you. It’s about those higher beings in the room taking your class. They might be having a human being experience… that is suffering a low grade misery of anticipation… of when the long hold will be over? when is savasana? when is this? when is that? You get present and ask them to get present to their burning thigh and arms that probably feel like ton of bricks. We all need to be reminded that being present takes us out of our suffering.
So back to the question of how I felt? I was really happy to have boss lady in class today. She didn’t faze me one bit. I felt very supported by her presence. I love it when teachers come to my class. There’s great learning to be done.
There’s more to this low grade misery topic.. next post 
mmm, i’ve felt the same pang of anxiety hit when a fellow teacher or the boss lady comes to my class. but then i get over myself and just teach. luckily it always turns out ok.
hugs & _/\_
Good for you … and such great insights! I’m so rural, I rarely have teachers in my class, but could imagine the gamet of emotions – and bringing self back to center!
low grade misery nikki, but high grade awareness
thanks!
SO funny .. depends upon the person. If it’s someone I don’t love deeply as a friend then I don’t care.. if it’s one of my best friends I want to rock it and then get nervous.
sounds like you handled it like a pro