Brit Budd

I would say that I have an empathetic heart, and I struggled myself as a kid going through school, so I know where they're coming from. I'm able to build relationships really well that don't go past the professional boundary, but they build it so that students feel seen and heard and understood. I make sure I'm not doing more of the work, that they're working just as hard, and that they see their value. I feel like that is because I'm a person who really sees each kid for who they are and understands their story before assuming anything. It's about making sure every student feels valued and understood, and building those genuine connections that help them succeed.

I would say, first and foremost, make sure you are 100% caring for yourself before anyone else. In teaching, we put ourselves on the back burner, and it tends to be a lot of women who put other needs in front of their own. Your own needs have to be first and foremost. You have to put on your oxygen mask before you can help anyone else, and that is the only way to survive it. The generation coming in right now has this new view of 'this is my needs, this is what I need, and if you can't do that, then I'm moving on,' and I actually admire that strength because it's going to be what changes this field. This field doesn't need people who will do what they're told anymore. This field needs people who say, 'Hey, it's not okay what's happening, and we need to fix it.' We deserve better than what's happening. I'm really hoping that they advocate for their needs, for their own needs, and also for the students. Really emphasize to them that they're teaching their future doctors, their future lawyers, and every single person you're teaching is going to go out there and be in the world with you too.

The biggest challenge I'm seeing that maybe a lot don't understand or have talked about is the effects of COVID and what it's done on our younger generation. Ever since COVID, we came back and did not really explain to the kids that they got to learn at home, and now they're here, and all that trauma we experienced, let's just go back to the grind. Kids' mental healths are impacted from it, but they are also pretty upset. They got through two grades of sitting at home and not having to do much, so why do they want to come back and do it when they weren't required before? I'm seeing a large number of students leaving the classroom and dropping out, more than I ever have in 15 years. The dropouts are turning into online learning, and every district around me is offering their own virtual academy starting this fall. I never thought I would see the day public education was offering an online option. That is a sure sign that kids are not coming to school, they're not staying in school, and that's a red flag. I do feel like we did them a disservice by not explaining to them better that we're recovering from this. Instead, we thought we were helping them by adding more requirements. The state of Texas says if you are behind, you have to attend extra classes and extra tutoring on top of what you're already learning. It had good intentions, but it was poorly executed, and students are suffering because of it.

I did some recent soul-searching after my divorce, and I realized I needed to go back to the basics of values. Communication is my absolute number one. I believe that so much can be misunderstood if there isn't communication. I also believe in relationships and value them very much, whether family, friends, or work relationships. I also value kindness. Just this morning, I was helping a dear friend whose family of five is starting all over again with nothing, and I've been driving around picking up donations from the community I've built through the years. A kind lady I met while picking up items offered to help me find a job, and I just started crying because I've been searching for months. That is why kindness is one of my top values. It's hard to balance because you have to have your boundaries, but kindness is definitely one of my top values.