Teachers: Valuing and recognising your role as essential to your well-being

I recently read a post on the very popular teacher Facebook page ‘Voice for Teachers’ that was written by a teacher who felt the need to write a letter to the Department of Education about what her actual role was as a teacher. She listed all of the roles she fulfills every single day. It really got me thinking about the current situation with Irish teachers and the struggles we are facing in terms of feeling undervalued. Looming strike action, threats of pay being docked and teachers feeling their job is not being appreciated as it should. I am not writing this to discuss the politics of the day but rather to discuss how we value ourselves as teachers and our role.

Dr. Brené Brown PhD has done amazing research around the whole notion of ‘Whole-Hearted Living’ and from years of research interviewing people, her data produced two main elements to what makes people feel ‘happy’ or ‘unhappy.’ She found that the ‘happy people:’

• felt loved and valued
• felt they belonged (to a family, a community, friendships etc.)

Of course there are many other parts to it such as following your intuition, resting, exercising, meditating etc. but these are the two basics and run like a thread through her file of what she termed ‘the happy people.’

Okay so if Brené’s research is accurate then, in order for us as teachers to be more content, we need to feel loved and valued, along with feeling we belong to our school communities.

Some teachers may scoff at using the word ‘love’ for how you feel about your school! Fair enough, but having worked in many schools across Ireland and also with hundreds of teachers, so many of them will use the word love for their job or the word love for their fellow colleagues, particularly those they are friendly with.   And when they help a child or young person; really help them and make a change of value, they feel love. So feeling loved and valued each day actually is crucial to how you will view your role.

And yes in the coming months we are looking at further unrest but in terms of teacher well-being, we do need to remember to ask how we see ourselves; we are asking others to value us and what we do, but do we truly value it ourselves? Whatever your current stance or opinion on the current state of affairs, remembering your own role/s and value as a teacher must come first no matter what you believe should happen next. Well-being begins with you. Feeling valued begins with you.

So what is our role then? We are:

• Teachers (of curriculum, knowledge and all of the wisdom of our own experience!)
• Counsellors – giving advice and supporting pupils and students every day
• Nurses
• Mediators
• Multi-taskers!
• Leaders
• Care-takers (of student’s emotional, mental and on some days, physical health)
• Entertainers (if you are a junior class teacher!)
• Resource builders (hello your best friends are glue guns and laminators!)
• Decorators (primary classroom display boards!)
• Confidantes
• Explorers
• Creators

And so much more……!

Pretty incredible list?! Our role is not simply a ‘curriculum delivery person!’

If we want to be, we can take huge pride each day in what we do for the children and young people of Ireland. We can do this by simply stepping into it; not just making a difference (this happens every day anyway!) but by RECOGNISING in ourselves that we are making a difference. That is the key here; SELF-RECOGNITION of what we do every day… you ARE making a difference but it seems to have gotten lost under a big pile of paperwork, policies and initiatives somewhere along the way.

But we are not here to go on a big rant against the government. If you’re reading this, hopefully you will begin with yourself and recognise how important your role is whether you are a primary, post-primary, part-time, temporary, permanent or substitute, you are still in a position when you stand in front of young minds, even if it just for one day to inspire and impart your wisdom and experience. Yes accepting that you have so much to do and have a huge role to fulfill every day, but most importantly recognising that you can do this with connection or without connection:

• Connect with your colleagues by having a giggle with them more, by telling them how great they are, by ending being competitive with them and support them instead
• Connect with at least one child/young person a day – make eye contact, ask them what they are grateful for, laugh with them when you find something funny, ask them what difference they would like to make in the world

All of this won’t just help improve their day/week/life, it will improve yours!

I spoke to a teacher last week in one of my sessions who suggested a gratitude journal to a family of a very sick child in her school. This family took this advice on board and they came back to that teacher saying it had changed their entire perspective. They told her it was incredibly powerful and helped them so much to cope with what they were facing; it gave them space to enjoy moments that may not be there for much longer. As she told this story, she was filled with emotion as was everyone in the room. THIS is the value of our role. THIS is the difference we can make. THIS is what matters most. THIS is what will change your mindset from ‘being a teacher/curriculum delivery person’ to ‘being a person who makes a difference.’ And is that not why most of us got into teaching in the first place?? To make a difference? You are already doing it. It’s just a matter of you deciding to SEE IT and step into it. Brené Brown really does have it sussed! If we feel we are loved, valued and that we belong, we will be more content and happier but for us as teachers in Ireland today, we need to begin with ourselves.

If you want to feel loved, then give love. If you want to feel more connected and that you belong to your school community, then connect. And if we want others to value our role, we must value the difference we are making ourselves first.