The hidden teacher-wellbeing trap
I am going to teach the heck out of this year.
We get into teaching for a multitude of reasons but most of us stay for the same reason: “this work means something to me” - far beyond a paycheck or a pat on the back.
We usually think about meaningfulness in the sense that it is a source of regenerative fuel. When we have a deep sense of meaning in our work - we are more likely to be engaged, to invest more time and energy and persist in challenging situations, than those of us with less meaning. There is a good amount of research relating meaningful work to resilience. In this sense meaningfulness in our work can be like a fresh wellspring of water that continues to provide nourishment and helps one to sustain their effort over time.
So what?
When an environment consistently presents challenge to an individual, that person must adapt in order to stay in the system. One must invest effort and energy - both physical and psychological, often to persistently bounce-back from challenge after challenge, performing at a high level in a dynamic multi-layered system.
Teachers are incredible. We often draw on a sense of meaning to sustain our work.
“I’ll plan this activity because my kids will love it and learn from it”
“Student X has needs and I have the ability to help. Who else will do it?”
“This change is tough but it shouldn’t have to be tough for my students”
“I’ll rest later. There’s too much work to do now.”
This constant investment of energy and effort is not sustainable.
Waves of commitment
We often become work-life Integrators, whereby boundaries between work and personal life become blurred, much more so than work-life segmentors, who have more rigid boundaries between the two areas.
Teachers can often integrate work and personal lives, a) out of necessity to fit all the tasks one needs to do (sometimes driven by anxiety), or b) because for many of us our work aligns with our own “Why”, an inner sense of value and reason for living, thereby transcending the surface-level reasons to engage in work - e.g. for the pay.
However when integrators are in chaotic or perpetually challenging environments, unhealthy integrating, often fueled by meaning and anxiety can lead to burnout. Sometimes trying harder is the worst strategy.
In seeking a pathway forward, those of us who are leaders in schools - can ensure that we do whatever we can to regulate and coregulate our school communities and our systems. We can still provide a sense of structure and opaque support even in tumultuous times. We can also model healthy moderation as segmentors and/ or integrators.
As individuals we could start to see our Why as a life-long mission that requires rest and recovery. We can also start to build in rest and recovery as more frequent habits than waiting for the school holidays so that our bodies can finally crash. Habitual separation from our stressors allows us the perspective to approach them with new eyes and energy, bringing our sense of meaning forth in a long-game approach.
Healthy work-life integration occurs when there is harmony and mutual benefit between one’s work life and personal life. Imagine if we could jobcraft our work so that teachers could better utilise individual strengths.
Imagine being part of a supportive community of teachers who pressed pause regularly to give and gain perspective; to solve molehills before they become mountains; and to collectively chip away at the mountainous challenges that arise for us in schools.
So, lets:
Monitor and regulate ourselves if and when integrating work and life becomes harmful
Create regular moments of space throughout the term to rest and gain insight
Be supportive of each other and our unique set of strengths we can bring to our work, and
Reframe our meaningful work in terms of lifelong contributions with ebbs and flows - rather than a journey of constant strain.
See you at the Well.
Paul
