Pouring from an Empty Cup Part 2

Pouring from an Empty Cup Part 2: Filling the Cup

In Part 1, I discussed how my stress in and out of the classroom led to an epic hole in my cup and I explained how my colleagues and students helped me to survive and patch the hole.  This part focuses on ways to leverage professional development time to improve teacher morale, create a more positive school culture and ultimately fill the cup back up.  We will explore some of the challenges with professional development and provide a few ways to turn those challenges into opportunities that can help teachers both professionally and personally. 

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a mandatory training wondering what you did to deserve such punishment?  Maybe you’ve thought to yourself, “I am a professional, I work my butt off, I care about the kids, and yet someone always thinks they have a better way to do the things I’ve done successfully for years.” Or, maybe you’re new and don’t have that much experience or confidence so you might look forward to training sessions only to end up more overwhelmed than you started.  Regardless of your teaching background, it is likely that you’ve felt that you could accomplish more if you could just have some of that training time to improve your materials and practice your craft.

There is a certain level of irony when teacher training fails to be engaging, meaningful, and transformative considering those are the expectations placed on classroom teachers.  However, as educators, we know that there will always be information that needs to be disseminated, new programs that need to be rolled out, new tools to learn, and initiatives that must be fulfilled according to pre-determined guidelines. Therefore, my goal is to find, create, and facilitate programs that help balance all of that by addressing the whole teacher – just as we expect teachers to address the whole student.

A major turning point in my career came when I heard some of my most brilliant and well-respected colleagues question their purpose and their expertise after being subjected to poorly designed professional development.  As I looked around the room and thought about the years of cumulative education, training, and experience, I couldn’t help but empathize with their animosity, especially since I knew that quite a few of them were enduring hardships outside of school as well. 

I am not naïve and I know that it takes a LOT to get teachers to say something good about professional development but when the majority of people are complaining, there is probably a legitimate issue.  Everyone knows that each school, grade-level or department has a token Energy Vampire or Debbie Downer but when large groups of teachers from different schools and districts come to similar conclusions, it becomes time to look at the source of their grumbling.  Usually, a good place to start would be to make sure that teacher trainers and experts actually use best practices and practice what they preach.

After facilitating professional development and teacher trainings for years, I will be the first one to admit that teachers are a tough crowd and that they are generally less attentive and well-behaved than most groups of students, but there are some good reasons for their disregard for training, especially in this current educational environment.

The irony of well-educated, compassionate professionals losing autonomy, creative liberty, and valuable opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in order to aggregate data, rewrite formal curriculum, and devise strategies to place even more emphasis on the results of standardized testing is almost too much to bear.

Many teachers can’t handle the thought of faculty meetings, in-service training, or “professional” development because they don’t feel as if they are treated like professionals, they dread the never-ending stream of quick fixes and canned solutions, and they know that they could actually utilize that time to create, collaborate, and catch their breath.

Fortunately, when teachers are given the time and the tools to “catch their breath” through stress management, mindfulness, and meaningful collaboration with their peers, productivity skyrockets and job satisfaction increases exponentially. 

Any school or district can make this happen and here are three easy ways to get started – 

1.     Ask teachers what they need and really listen to their answers.  We all know that department chairs, supervisors, curricular coaches, and administrators are not miracle workers, but most teachers actually just want someone to hear their concerns and to validate them with understanding.  Nothing is worse than struggling in isolation and it is amazing how resourceful people can be when they are given hope and opportunities to look at things differently.  In addition to holding teacher forums and sending out digital surveys, school leaders can encourage teachers to talk to each other and their supervisors about ways to turn obstacles into opportunities.

2.    Provide space and opportunities for teachers to explore fun, creativity, and relaxation. I’m not suggesting that you turn your faculty workroom into a game room or zen meditation den (although either of those would probably be very effective), but I am suggesting that it is okay to create balance.  In the classroom, the best teachers make sure that their students have time to work, play, run around, and relax.  Obviously, all of the research behind that approach also applies to adults.  When work is emphasized above all else, it is very difficult to have a cohesive school culture and teachers become way more susceptible to stress and burnout.  You can bring in wellness experts, introduce mindfulness, offer optional exercise or yoga classes before or after school, or just utilize the talent in your building. Every staff has at least one member who is fun and outgoing enough to lead everyone else on an adventure from time to time, so don’t forget to empower your resident motivator, comedian, or event planner to create something different and meaningful for everyone.

3.     Ensure that there is time for teachers to collaborate in a positive, meaningful way and in a context of their choice.  This one goes back to creating meaningful professional development.  If teachers only have opportunities to collaborate about challenges, confusing data, overwhelming mandates, and difficult students, those things will become the focus.  Energy flows where attention goes, so if you want more positive energy and a happier and more relaxed staff, find ways to emphasize and celebrate all of the good things that are going on throughout each building.  Allow teachers to share experiences and lessons that went really well in order to inspire their colleagues to try something similar and be sure to celebrate all victories personally and professionally to create that culture of caring and connection.

As important as it is to employ tactics like these for the benefit of teachers it is even more important to fill educator cups because the students will benefit by learning from a teacher who is more calm, happy, and able to model emotional wellness because they feel supported, connected and encouraged. 

In Part 3: Letting Your Cup Overflow, I will connect this fully by explaining the importance of Social and Emotional Learning and how true implementation requires a teacher who embodies social and emotional wellness.  

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