Rambling About Morale and Stuff

"It's not what you look at that matters; it's what you see."

-Henry David Thoreau

The landscape of public education, perhaps particularly in Illinois, though I know many other states are facing similarly difficult situations, is littered with obstacles that we must overcome. It is the reason so many are choosing to leave the profession and many more are choosing to not even consider it to begin with. I loved my time in the classroom. There are very few feelings that match the exhileration of leading a classroom full of kids through a bell-to-bell lesson of genuine engagement and enthusiasm. I've had few experiences as humbling as having a former student relay to me the impact I had on their lives. The irony is that in many cases, these were the students I was absolutely certain I had failed to reach at all.

Most days, I spend at least a few moments wishing I was still in the classroom. The truth is that I envy the position all of you are in. I didn't become an educator with the intention of sitting where I am sitting today. I envisioned myself teaching for 35 years at Paris High School. I remember being a young teacher and looking at my colleagues who were nearing retirement and wondering what my legacy would be when I got to that point in my career. Would I be the teacher everyone was ready to see retire, or would I be the one everyone wished could go on forever? I certainly saw people walk out the door under both circumstances. 

The truth is that being an administrator was the furthest thing from my To Do list, but somewhere along the way, I had enough people that I truly trusted and respected tell me it was something I should consider that I decided to at least take the steps to make it an option. It was through that process that I saw what I believe is our biggest obstacle: teacher morale. This realization more than anything is what led me to believe that I needed to pursue getting into administration for real, not just in theory, because I believe my life experiences have given me a somewhat unique perspective on morale, and I would like to share that with you.

I have been through some truly miserable experiences, though I will be the first to admit that they pale in comparison the those of others who travled to the same places as I did to do the same job. Nonetheless, those experiences have given me a perspective on life that generally keeps me in a pretty good mood. For 12 months, I went to work at a job where there was a very real possibility that I might not survive my shift. At first, the reality of that was a crushing weight on my shoulders, but after awhile, it just became a part of life that I didn't think much about. I became aware of it again when I got home and realized it wasn't a part of my life anymore. Having that burden removed was refreshing. No matter how bad my day was, I reminded myself that at no time was anyone trying to kill me, and what had been a bad day started to feel like a pretty good day. I learned that I couldn't control all of the circumstances around me, but I could control the way I chose to look at it. I came to understand that my morale was something I had control over. It was a choice I had to make. 

In education, we are being asked to do more than any other generation of educators have ever done before us. Our students come to us more broken and with less interest in what we are selling. Society seems to value us less and support at home is at an all-time low. We can't control those things. What we can control is our response to these circumstances. If you as an individual choose to look at the cards and feel they are unfair, no amount of donuts or jeans days is going to make you feel better about it. There are no external motivators that will alter your internal assessment of your surroundings in a real or impactful way. BUT if you choose to change your perspective, you will find that your morale will improve over time as you internalize that mindset shift. Are we tasked with more than those who came before us? Absolutely, but that just means we will accomplish more. 

This is a tough time to be in education, but that just means we have a greater opportunity than ever before to make a monumental difference in the world around us. Think back to the image of the teacher of the 1950's. Is that really the teacher you want to be? Now imagine you crushing your best day here. Which idea about teaching do you want to embrace? I promise you that if you embrace the challenge ahead of us as your opportunity for greatness, your morale will improve.