Sometimes, I follow that thought with, "I went to school to be a teacher, not to deal with all of this other stuff." But what I'm beginning to realize is that being a teacher includes all this "other stuff." Incorporating social-emotional learning into the curriculum is not "one more thing;" it is just another aspect of being a teacher. Being a triage nurse and a triage counselor is also another part of being a teacher. We are the ones who hear about emotional and physical injury first. We are the ones who help students advocate for themselves or direct them to other professionals for more help.
So I'll continue to expand my definition of teaching to include all of these other essentials, and I'll work to keep high-quality, NGSS-aligned instruction at the center of my classroom. And I'll remind myself that I'm still "teaching" even when we take a detour from the NGSS to address student wellbeing.