A little background about me: I have been teaching Special Education in the elementary resource setting for 25 years. Education, especially special education, can be incredibly challenging, and it truly takes a specific kind of person to do it. But I have always loved working with my students and helping them navigate both their academic hurdles and social scenarios. Teaching with a chronic illness wasn’t something I ever anticipated when I started, but it became a massive part of my journey.
In 2021, my family, like so many others, contracted COVID-19. My husband (who is also a teacher), our daughter, and I all pivoted to Zooming with our respective classes from home. Thankfully, we had a very mild case. Since we were educators, my husband and I had already been vaccinated, and I felt incredibly fortunate that the virus was mild enough that I could still teach virtually and support my team and students. My students were already familiar with the online setup from the previous school year, so everything seemed to be going smoothly.
We all returned to our school buildings on a Monday. We were a little tired, but all things considered, it felt understandable.
By Thursday, everything changed. I woke up with incredibly painful leg muscles.
To back up a bit: I am the furthest thing from a natural athlete. However, about five years before all of this happened, I started walking, which eventually turned into running. Running did not come naturally to me at all, endorphins are entirely fictional in my world! Yet, I worked my way up and even ran a half-marathon. I am still extremely proud of myself for that! Right before I contracted COVID, I was actively deciding which half-marathon to sign up for next; the Disney half-marathon was at the very top of my bucket list. On any given day of the week, I was running, doing yoga, or kickboxing.
So, when I woke up with severe muscle soreness that Thursday after returning to school, it was a sensation I recognized, but it didn’t make sense. I hadn’t worked out in several weeks because of the illness. Mentally, I had already planned to ease back into my exercise routine very carefully, knowing from fellow runners that doing too much too soon causes major setbacks.
I didn’t understand the sudden pain but assumed it was a lingering effect of COVID. At the time, I was filling out a daily symptom questionnaire for my doctor. Within ten minutes of submitting my log that morning, the clinic called. They assured me this was all “expected,” explaining that post-viral symptoms can continue for up to 12 weeks.
Long story short: almost five years later, I still experience severe muscle soreness 24/7, alongside migraines, fatigue, and brain fog.
Throughout it all, I continued to teach elementary resource special education. Every single ounce of my available energy went into my classroom. Outside of school, I could do very little. I would collapse onto the couch every evening, counting down the hours until I could justify showering and going to bed. The pain was awful and often brought me to tears. Going out to dinner, grocery shopping, cooking, or running errands became impossible, it was simply too painful and exhausting. Every spare moment was spent resting just to survive. Unfortunately, the medical community still doesn’t know how to cure this, though I do feel incredibly fortunate to have compassionate, supportive doctors in my corner.
This baseline of rest is actually where my Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) journey began. I desperately needed to keep my mind busy while my body was forced to sit still. There is only so much reading, TV, and endless scrolling a person can do before going stir-crazy. As special education teachers, we constantly create custom materials to individualize learning for our students. I decided that posting the resources I was actively using in my classroom onto TpT might help alleviate some stress for other teachers. It was never about making money; it was a way to keep my mind focused on something positive rather than the chronic pain.
This past spring, I completed my 25th year in the classroom. In my state, teachers can take early retirement at the 25-year mark. Last summer, I made the decision to buy five years of service and officially retire.
To say this was a painful decision is a massive understatement. Last summer, in the quiet moments of making that choice, I was an absolute mess. Living with a chronic illness takes so much away from you, and it felt like it was now stealing a core part of my identity. I had to give myself real time to mourn the end of this chapter.
My final year of teaching was a total rollercoaster, which also included my daughter needing spinal fusion surgery. Through it all, I felt so lucky that the people around me were incredibly supportive and understanding. At the end of the school year, my colleagues, family, and friends quietly celebrated my accomplishments and gave me the absolute best send-off I could have asked for.
I share all of this today because I believe in full transparency. I am going to continue my TpT journey, even though I am no longer in the classroom. I still have a massive library of tried-and-true resources that I designed for my own students, and I want to share them with you. My philosophy remains exactly the same: to create intentional, effective resources that make an educator’s life just a little bit easier. My former school team knows they can still reach out to me if they need something specific created, and they know I’ll make it for them!
I want to extend that same offer to you. Please reach out if there is a specific resource or gap you are trying to fill in your classroom. You can let me know exactly what you need through my Google Form right here.
Teaching with a chronic illness may have changed the trajectory of my career, but it hasn’t changed my passion for supporting diverse learners. Navigating this shift hasn’t been easy, but I am stepping into this new chapter with gratitude for the past 25 years and excitement for what I can build next.
Thank you for reading my story, and happy teaching!