The joy of teaching and the well-being of the educator

Key points:

Across the country, teachers like you are decorating classrooms, creating lesson plans, and preparing for new students. You've invested numerous hours into planning how to help students learn and thrive. While teachers know how to prepare to help their students succeed, too often we forget to focus on what we need to prioritize our overall well-being so we can hold on to the joy of teaching. This back-to-school season is the perfect time to commit to you.

I recently gave a Presentation for Utah teachers called The Joy of Teaching: How to Maintain Your Professional Passion I spent time talking to teachers about the importance of creating practical strategies focused on them, their well-being, and how to cultivate joy.

As educators, putting others first and taking care of oneself last will make it difficult to maintain passion for the teaching profession, let alone maintain mental health and overall well-being. The work that educators do touches every profession and impacts every community.

You are important. That's why talking about educators' well-being and cultivating the joy of teaching should also be important.

Joy doesn't just matter because it makes us feel good, which is a plus, but because it's good for us. There's plenty of research showing that joy can increase our emotional resilience, it can boost job satisfaction, it can help protect our bodies from the effects of stress and pain, and it can have a spillover effect that spreads to other people and aspects of our lives.

But how can we find and embrace joy in our busy worlds?

We choose to cultivate a mindset that will last over time. To do this, we need practical strategies that we can apply no matter what stage of life we ​​are in or how many years we have been in the classroom.

To start, be clear about what your core values ​​are. These can be our guide and help us be the best version of ourselves. Ask yourself these questions:

What is important to you?

What is your lived experience?

Who are your role models and why do you admire them?

What gets you up in the morning?

Take time to build community with other educators. Community care is critical to cultivating the joy of teaching. Having a mentor, being a mentor, and connecting with professional organizations can help you maintain your joy of teaching. We need safe professional relationships that give us space to grow and ask for help.

Cultivating joy requires self-reflection and self-regulation, as well as sharing experiences with your community. Pause to acknowledge and understand your emotions and thus nurture your emotional intelligence. Pausing will help you see the good, even on difficult days. It will make you resilient and is like a sponge to integrate joy into your life and work.

One question I often ask teachers is what drains and fulfills them throughout the day. It's surprising how many people haven't taken the time to reflect on this. Asking this question is like putting Google Maps on your path to mental health. You'll get directions.

We all have different responses. For me, I thrive on meaningful connections, seeing students and teachers thrive, and practicing gratitude. I quickly lose energy and mindfulness when I'm in a cluttered workspace, working in isolation, or when I find myself overly engaged in activities that prevent me from prioritizing my well-being.

Do some self-reflection and try to decide each week how you can do more of what fulfills you and less of what drains you. It's also helpful to ask yourself what your unique contribution to the teaching space is. Pause to reflect on how your voice, your knowledge, and your experience benefit you as a teacher. For some of us, it's helpful to take some time to remember the “why” of entering this profession. What motivated you to become a teacher? Or maybe who motivated you to go into education? It's time to get excited about that part again. And the great news is, The joy of the teacher-leader helps his students to succeed.

Another way to hold on to your joy is to know your capacity. Have a plan for when you feel overwhelmed. You’re human. It’s going to happen. Knowing your capacity helps you identify where to put your time and focus when life is hard. Think about what you need to do, delegate, and eliminate. Take time to ask yourself if you have what you need to thrive. As flight attendants always say, put your oxygen mask on first before helping others. Focusing on taking care of yourself doesn’t make you selfish, it helps you stay healthy.

And with all that, you'll be ready for the parade of smiling faces ahead. Thank you for being part of one of the most important professions in our country. Your work has a lasting impact. We respect and appreciate you. Take care of yourself.