Have you ever had a new car? A new pair of shoes or a new job? It’s so exciting. I remember the last time I got a new pair of Asics runners. They were more expensive than what I’d usually pay for a pair of shoes, but a combination of store lights, flashy sales tactics and a belief that the shoes would actually make a difference to my sporting ‘career’ pushed me across the line. I was in awe, that new smell, the crisp white laces and bright colours. They were new and exciting and I was beside myself. When things are new, there is always an element of excitement. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm doesn’t last very long.
It’s the same with teaching. I loved my first school. I had a wonderful class, a brilliant teaching supervisor and a phenomenal principal. Honestly I couldn’t have asked for a better first few years of teaching. Yes, it was mentally and physically draining. My first teaching position was in an all boys’ school, starting at the end of Term 3 on a Year 6 class. It was tough, but I loved the challenge.
It wasn’t until after I’d been at the school for about a year that the novelty started to wear off. I don’t think that it was a fault of the school, nothing had really changed. Yet something was different – apathy had started to set in. Slowly, but surely the things that were initially colourful and interesting were starting to loose their vibrancy.
If you’ve been in a teaching position for a while you will start to see this. You may begin to engage in negative talk in the staffroom that you wouldn’t initially. Or you might start to get annoyed at children ‘interrupting you’ on the playground.
The good news is that you can learn to love your school (again). I seem to do this regularly as it reminds me of why I teach. Here are three powerful ways to learn to love your school again:
- Engage with the students. What is it that is important to them? It’s amazing how quickly your problems and frustrations seem to lessen when you engage with the students in your school.
- Communicate with parents. Make every effort to engage with parents. Get out the staffroom and spend some time speaking with the parents. These conversations can be illuminating to both the parents and yourself. You might find solutions to problems that you’re having with their children in class, you may find a new way of engaging the community with your school or you may just learn something new about the world your students live in.
- Walk slowly and take it in. Don’t rush around like a chicken with its head cut off. Just walk, slowly, purposefully and observe. Take in the colours of the buildings and the school surroundings. What do you see that you’ve never noticed before? This habit could help change your perspective on things or it could just give you a moment of quiet in your crazy schedule. Either way, breathe deeply and soak it in.
Learning to love your school (again) is important. It reminds you of why you get up each day and invest countless hours into your profession. Please, please, please, don’t let the wonder of teaching wear off.
How have you learnt to love your school (again)?
Enjoy the journey.