Like many other educators, Sienna Holl did not initially see herself as a leader. For her first 14 years as an English teacher in Rutherford County, Sienna’s priority was to ensure her students felt cared for and loved. The rest of her time was dedicated to improving her instructional practice. For Sienna, this is what she believed was expected of her and what she was supposed to do.
“Whether or not these kids remember anything about literary devices, they’re going to know that Ms. Holl loved them and was doing her best,” says Holl.
Though she was passionate, Sienna says there was always a point during the school year when she would begin to feel overwhelmed, even questioning if she could make it to the end of the school year. Every year, little by little, she began to doubt if she could continue in a career she loved. Every year, those feelings of burnout would occur much earlier in the school year.
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