Last month, Jason McKenna wrote a companion article: “Embracing the Educational Marathon with Joy and Happiness.”
In the teaching profession, we are sadly all too aware of the negative effects that poverty has on students. Wealth leads to better health, but poverty limits access to necessities such as proper nutrition, safe neighborhoods, and clean air and water. Surprisingly, poverty also has a negative impact on mental health. Dr. Nancy Adler and her team at the University of California, San Francisco have uncovered a disturbing correlation. In other words, a person’s health can be influenced not only by objective circumstances such as income level, but also by self-perception. relationships with others. In other words, feeling poor can be just as harmful as actually being poor.
Perception doesn’t have to be reality
It is interesting to see how this power relationship transcends socio-economic status and permeates all classes. Take actor Brian Cox’s two most famous characters, Logan Roy, his CEO of Waystar RoCo from the TV show Succession, and Shakespeare’s legendary King Lear. Despite their vast wealth and power, these characters, and all of those around them, are caught in a cycle of relentless envy and desire for what they can’t have. They live in a world where their worth is constantly monitored. They are not poor, but they always feel poor.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon also occurs in educational settings.
Creating compelling lesson plans, managing a diverse classroom, and ensuring curriculum standards are met are just the tip of the iceberg of the challenges teachers face every day. But it’s not just the challenges at hand that amplify these challenges, but the burden of comparison that casts a heavy shadow over their professional and personal lives.
Comparison can mean inspiration, not competition
The media adds fuel to the fire with explicit depictions of education. Films like “Stand and Deliver,” “Dangerous Minds,” and “Freedom Writers” champion idealized images of educators and subtly set the bar of expectations that are impossible to reach. While this story is inspiring, it can also be unrealistic and destructive. Comparison drama on social media adds to this burden.
Still, even in the midst of competition, inspiration can be found. Paul McCartney’s admiration for Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys inspired him to create some of his most cherished work.
He once told an interviewer: “’God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it.” It’s really just a love song, but it’s beautifully done. It shows Brian’s genius. ”
“I actually played with him once, and unfortunately he broke down in tears during the sound check. I remember standing there singing this song that gives me a headache and singing it with Brian. It was too much to bear,” McCartney said.
But what distinguishes inspiration from destructive competition? Here we can return to Shakespeare’s King Lear and learn from it. In the world of Lear, Shakespeare offers a powerful cautionary tale. Only after all of her powers are taken away does Lear understand the importance of his true relationship with his daughter Cordelia. The tragedy is that their recognition was delayed.
Our parallels with educators lie in the understanding that the trappings of success defined by social comparison can blind us and others from the intrinsic value of our profession. You can see it. When we step outside of the arena of envy, we can truly connect with our role as educators.
Exceptional value for teachers
If you are a teacher who has weathered the tumultuous circumstances of the past few years, including the pandemic and school closures, know that you are doing an extraordinary job. When I was a teacher, all of my colleagues came into the profession to make an impact. That reality still holds true today as I travel around the country and around the world meeting with educators.
But the harsh reality is that for a variety of reasons, we don’t always live up to our own expectations, and that can be heartbreaking. Because our expectations are set on our children, not on financial projections. What makes this heartbreak even worse is the constant reminder of the teacher who seemingly can do anything.
While we should not discount the accomplishments of great teachers, it is time to recognize the hard work and resilience of all educators. School administrators must understand that education is both a science and an art. Therefore, quantifying success can be counterproductive. Rather than the relentless pursuit of quantifiable success, we should celebrate the less visible but equally important aspects of education: fostering curiosity, developing empathy, and cultivating critical thinking. .
Rethinking the original research on poverty, recognizing that in the grand scheme of things, teachers too can feel their professional output is inferior when exposed to relentless comparison and scrutiny. That is important. Now is the time for us to confront this culture of envy and recognize the complex, complex, and important role that educators play in shaping the minds of the future.
We may not remember what we had for lunch yesterday, but we remember our teacher, no matter how long ago we were sitting in that classroom.
After all, teaching is an art, not a competition. It’s time to shift the focus from quantitative outcomes to the qualitative impact teachers make every day. Let’s forget the culture of envy and sincerely thank educators for their valuable contribution to shaping our future.
The opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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