Well, I still think I'm a good teacher, but I'm not that teacher anymore.
I've really been struggling with this situation lately. It's really difficult for me to not feel like I'm not on my teaching game as much as I used to be. Sure, I am still making it to school early enough to make my copies and plan activities for my kiddos, but with pumping during lunch and on my plan, wanting to get to our sitters right away after school, and being sleep deprived, there are certainly days that focusing on school takes everything out of me.
Then, I started to think about all of the ways that becoming a mom has made me a better teacher. Now when I look at my students I think about how they are someone's whole world, much like Jacob is mine. When I receive a parent email, I think about how I'll be that parent concerned about my kid someday. Being a parent has given me fresh, sleep-deprived eyes as a teacher, and even though I may feel like I'm not on my A-game 24/7, I can definitely say that I am a more caring teacher now that I'm a mom.
I think it's important to forgive yourself as a new working parent. It's okay that my copies aren't made in advance for the entire week. It's okay if that math assignment doesn't get graded the night it's completed. It's okay to not take on 5,000 new things in the classroom simply because you know you won't remember to keep up with them when you are teaching on 4 hours of sleep. It's okay. I'm okay.
I have a new paradigm...and that's okay too.