S3 E.4 What Makes Us Unbreakable | A Conversation with Brittany Sinitch @fivefootoneteacher
In this EpisodeToday’s episode is undoubtedly one of the most emotionally raw and vulnerable episodes we’ve had to date. Adriana and Mariah sit down with the incredible Brittany Sinitch, also known as @fivefootoneteacher on social media. It is such an honor to call Brittany a friend – she is truly someone special.
Brittany starts by giving some background. Pursuing a career in the education field was essentially innate for her. Brittany attended high school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas and during her senior year there, she knew that she not only wanted to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a teacher, but to be a teacher at that school.
During her first year of teaching in 2018, the unimaginable happened. A shooting took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, taking the lives of 17 students and staff. That one singular sound in the middle of last period changed everyone’s life. You didn’t have to be there to feel the pain – it took the world by storm.
Brittany’s goal was always to make her classroom a safe one, but suddenly the school didn’t feel so safe and warm anymore. Being strong for her students in those moments and in the aftermath was such a challenge – there was no way to completely remedy the situation. The curriculum was out the door and every moment thereafter was about finding human connection again. Each day would consist of going through the motions and taking baby steps to healing.
Adriana and Mariah ask Brittany how she took this tragic experience and transformed it into something positive. Brittany says that the world felt numb and frozen in the beginning. It took the help of friends and family to get her out of bed every morning. It was a moment of realization—Brittany’s world felt like it was shutting down, while everyone else’s continued moving and evolving. At the end of the day, you have to glow through something to grow, and that’s exactly what Brittany did.
While Brittany didn’t entertain any press after the horrific event, she did share to social media as an open journal. It was an innocent endeavor - she notes that she didn’t know how judgmental people could be. Some were uplifting, some were rude, and some thought that she was sharing this experience so people would pity her. Setting social media boundaries is SO important. Pick and choose what you share online, and always remember your “why.” Brittany is sharing her experience for those who can’t, and that is immensely powerful.
Going back to teaching in the beginning of the following year wasn’t terrible - the school felt like a tenacious community. Neighborhoods and police officers were cheering on the students and staff upon their return. However, later in the year, things took a turn for the worse for Brittany. She was now feeling physically ill and developed an autoimmune disease. Your body remembers traumatic events, and Brittany learned that she needed to prioritize her health.
Brittany finished that year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas and decided she did not want to return. Her students there were her lifeline – during her “open year,” she advised a club at the school and spent lots of time going to therapy to find herself. This short break reminded her that teaching IS her purpose. It was never the end, but she needed to recalibrate to find her love for the profession again. Brittany now teaches middle school and is making a difference in SO many of our lives with her bright spirit.
Connecting with a therapist was such an integral facet of Brittany’s healing – she recalls how she felt a warm light while being pressed against a window during the tragedy. While she may never know what exactly that was, Brittany says that it felt like an “I got you” moment. It was a sense of reassurance, and it ultimately made her feel unbreakable. As Adriana always says, you may not understand why something is happening in the moment, but you can connect the dots later on.
While Brittany is not in the school everyday, she doesn’t let that get in the way of communicating with her past students. She recently saw her students from 2018 and gave them the letters she had them write to their future selves. It was such a special moment, and those people will always be precious to one another.
We know one thing for sure…teachers are so special and resilient. You never forget who provided you with love and light in your adolescence and college years. Speaking with Brittany was such an enlightening experience and we are so impressed by her beautiful mindset. While we can’t control what happens to us, we can control our reaction, and Brittany has handled everything with pure grace.
Keep glowing, and we’ll catch you next time!
Important Times0:50 - Welcome back!
7:10 - Brittany’s Life Update
10:17 - Five Foot One Teacher
12:51 - Parkland 2018
20:12 - Moments with students
24:50 - Turning the negative into something positive
28:50 - Connecting the dots
31:22 - Mental Health
35:49 - Returning to Teaching
42:22 - Controlling reactions to situations
43:43 - Faith through tragedy
52:06 - Upcoming school year
55:08 - Seeing students from 2018
57:00 - Supporting Brittany/Unbreakable
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Welcome bestie.
We’re so glad you’re here.
We’re Adriana and Mariah. Co-hosts, entrepreneurs, BFFs, and girls just like you trying to figure it out as we go.
