Finding Joy
Have you ever been around a teacher who finds joy in everyday life? I remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Postles. She really enjoyed teaching; she thought learning was fun; she really loved us kids. And we knew it every day!
From the first day of 4th grade, I wanted to be around her. When she turned her beaming smile on me, it made my day brighter. When she laughed (and she did often), we all laughed with her. Around her, I wanted to stretch myself. I discovered how much fun it was to view learning as a challenge. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a teacher like her. I hope each of you had a Mrs. Postles in your life. If you became a teacher, chances are that you were deeply influenced by someone like her.
Lately, in the process of redesigning my consulting services, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what’s missing for so many teachers today. I’ve recalled the joyous anticipation of teacher candidates when I asked them why they wanted to become a special educator. Each revealed a heart-felt calling to make a difference in the lives of struggling children. I understood. That’s why I’ve stayed in the profession for so long.
Way too often now, I witness burnout. I hear teachers counting the days (or years) until they can retire. I hear their exhaustion and overwhelm. I want to help!
Growth Mindset Brings Joy to Student Learning
So I turned to the literature around growth mindset for some insight. Carol Dweck describes the hopefulness of believing that effort and commitment CAN help you grow. She and her colleagues explain that those with a fixed mindset believe that you are born talented or not and your ability won’t change, no matter what.
Many schools today embed growth mindset into daily classroom practice. Teachers know that the right kind of coaching and praise can foster growth mindset. That praise is NOT like cheerleading – “rah! rah! You can do it!” Students won’t believe you, especially those who struggle. They have too much evidence that they CAN’T be successful.
Instead, effective coaching is built on carefully structuring learning opportunities so that students CAN be successful, encouraging them to put forth courageous effort, and celebrating their effort with them. I think that’s where joy comes in.
Teachers make it fun to take on a challenge and try something hard.
Finally, to shift their fixed mindset, teachers recognize each small success and encourage students to acknowledge themselves. As they begin to see that they CAN, their mindset starts to shift. These celebrations are joyous!
Growth Mindset Brings Joy to Teaching Too
What if we applied the same principles to teachers? What if we encouraged them to believe that their teaching circumstances are not fixed? So many of them have become discouraged because they think that the oppressive weight of expectations they try to navigate every day is beyond their control.
So maybe one teacher can’t change the whole system. OK. Maybe one consultant can’t #TransformInclusion, either. But like the man saving one starfish at a time (don’t you love that story?), we can make one small change today with one student, with one lesson plan, with one colleague, with one parent, and with one part of our mindset.
Joy is an inside job! As teachers, we have to look for ways to reclaim the joy in teaching – for our own well being and for the contagious benefits for our students and their families.
I just realized that I instinctively used a growth mindset model in my consulting. My PD learning modules build on carefully structured learning opportunities that encourage teachers to experiment with new, evidence-based strategies.
My Inclusion Coach modules empower coaches to encourage each teacher to take some instructional risks (Yikes! a new approach?) and celebrate their efforts with them. Having a coach who believes you CAN, well, that’s where joy comes in. Together, it’s fun to take on a challenge and try something that looks hard.
Initially, I wanted to prepare Inclusion Coaches to replace me as a coach in the classroom. I thought I would be expanding their skills with cutting-edge inclusive strategies, integrated with youth empowerment and family partnerships. Now I see that those components are important, but the central part of an Inclusion Coach‘s mission is to build growth mindset and rekindle joy in the teaching profession. What fun!!
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