What is #SemicolonEDU? Excellent question. It’s a movement based on the Semicolon Project that aims to highlight the importance of mental health among educators. Too many educators these days struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and the goal of #SemicolonEDU is to provide support and show them they are not alone. There is a wonderful quote that sums up this project perfectly:
A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.
My friend Elissa first introduced me to this project with her recent blog post about it. The project is spearheaded by two other educators that I highly respect, Joe Mazza and Nicholas Provenzano. I have been living with anxiety and depression for many years now. These issues are part of me, but I refuse to let them define me. What keeps me going is a combination of therapy, medication, and most of all – the support of my friends and colleagues. Educators are under so many pressures both personal and professional, and too often mental health needs get overlooked. A few years ago, I lost one of my best friends to these combined pressures, and I hope never to have to go through that pain again.
It’s important that we, as educators, take the time to let our friends and colleagues that mental health issues are nothing to be ashamed of, and to provide support and assistance to those who need it.
I encourage you to share YOUR stories to help highlight the importance of this issue. We are stronger together than we are alone. Share a semicolon today to show your support. My semicolon will be with me forever as a reminder.