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Yes to all the exclamation points and emojis!!!! 🙌😃 And I am in awe of teachers. I know so many amazing teachers. They wear so many hats. You all are superheroes! 🦸🏽‍♀️ Love this piece and loving the conversation 🫶😘

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Thank you so much, Catherine! I am an emoji enthusiast, too. 😄 This teacher is glad it is summer break ☀️

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Hope you have a wonderful summer break!! 💛😘

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My Hobbit and I have an on-going argument about the exclamation point. I like to use it to demonstrate excitement, he says it is pretentious.

also, I taught high school for 10 years, then switched to teaching yoga for 20 years...and now I'm onto teaching mindfulness. Once a teacher, always a teacher. many hats. it never gets boring.

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I think women tend to gravitate toward exclamation points more often than men. Not a hard and fast rule, of course. Men tend to favor more direct communication, I think!

I keep thinking it might be time to move on from education, but I find it hard to actually do it. I think teaching is definitely more of a calling than a profession. 🙂

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I can related to both. Sometimes, I write my newsletter to calm myself and figure things out. Surprisingly, those are loved the most. Your exclamations are my emojis! 🙌 ☂️ ✨

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I am finding the same to be true, Prachi! Thank you for reading. 🙂🫶🏻 (I’m an emoji girl too!)

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The "Marie-Kondoing my headspace, one post at a time" is so real. I felt that on so many levels. Writing might be my favorite way of staying organized.

Oh, and I also loved that last bit: the paradox between friendly and professional. I often find myself in these situations where I don't want to come off too friendly, or too harsh. Like you said, both are possible :)

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Yes! I have always been a list writer and a dedicated planner-keeper. It wasn't until I started this Substack that I realized how soothing writing personal essays is. It organizes my brain. 🙂

Not a hard and fast rule, but I think men and women tend to communicate so differently, and often in professional discourse, more direct, more male communication becomes the norm. But I think we can be direct and kind! Nothing less professional about kindness. 👏🏻

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I can relate. So love a good exclamation point!

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If conveying enthusiasm is wrong, I don't want to be right!

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hehe i just wrote you a note with several !! 😂

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Great minds! :)

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