Finding Meaning in Education #45

I read an article today on meaningful work. The vagueness on what that means and what most people feel is meaningful work. It did not discuss education specifically but I see the parallels. The article "What is Meaningful Work" by Joe Keohane -sparked an interest in me. It sparked something- reminded me as to why education can be meaningful for many of us, but for some, it causes them to lose their passion and inspiration for it. 

What is so powerful about education that many of us enter and stay for our careers- we dig in and dive deep and find inspiration and longevity?

Meaning is personal, what fulfills us, challenges us, keeps us interested and goal oriented- is a uniqueness to each and every one of us. Education holds a meaning unlike many other professions- it creates a drive and endurance, that is ingrained in us educators- not to say other professions don't do the same thing- just that education is a profession a "calling" that is not lucrative, so money is not a lure- it is often lonely and isolating- not a draw, and it requires patience, thick skin and passion. 

For if you lose any of these- you tend to veer away from it. It is a constant balancing act- equilibrium is nonexistent- for we can not control the ebbs and flows of student behavior, student interest, and the forces of administration and policy. We are trapeze artists trying to hold tight to the trapeze, all the while watching the audience to try to keep their gaze. We climb up the ladder, willingly, we depart and swing to the highbar- knowing that we might miss and fall. But, we keep doing it- knowing that most days we will land safely on the goalpost.

So is that commitment meaning?

As the article explains, hunter-gatherers found meaning in supporting and protecting their families. The Industrial Revolution changed the meaningfulness of artisans and building something from beginning to end- feeling a deep connection to the engineering and artistry of capitalism, into a more productive, efficient and assembly line version of it. Workers lost their meaning, their connection to the work. 

But in education- when did that happen? When did we become so politicized and downtrodden? When did politicians and lobbyists and voices of discontent enter our realm- most of whom have never stood in a classroom, taught, or even understand classroom dynamics- and take over the narrative?

When did many educators lose hope, lose passion, lose the momentum to work through this turmoil that has besieged us? 

Last week I counted many Tweets about- last days, early retirement, and leaving from frustration- from educators around the globe. It saddened me. It made me wonder what happened- how was the meaning and inspiration was drained from their classrooms. I can empathize. I can count many times these last two years I have thought about retiring early, leaving the field from frustration and making tomorrow my last day. But, deep inside of me, there is a harmony, a rhythm, a calling very much alive.

We are all asking ourselves these days: Why am I doing this? 

For many when we can not find our calling, our heartfelt connection- we walk away. Philosophers call the hope and inspiration we find in our professional lives 'a will to meaning.' This will, we feel deeply as educators, as I have mentioned- it is why we overlook the negatives. We latch on to the positives because we seek reinforcements to our outlook. We want to be here, we need this, for it is a part of us. But, lately we have all felt the tether weakening. The slack causing us to toggle a bit more, to struggle a bit more. But, for most of us, we are not giving up, we are digging in our heals deeper.

Just because some educators make the right choice for them- for some it is to leave the profession. Does NOT mean we all feel this way. Most of us are full-throttle ahead. We are engaged and finding meaning in our careers as educators.

Meaningful work is a powerful thing. It keeps us aware of the negative, but focused on the positive. It keeps us seeking and learning and growing. Psychologists have discovered that when we engage in meaningful work, we are more productive, we receive more positive feedback and we "act as better ambassadors for our organizations (What is Meaningful Work" by Joe Keohane). This was an eye opener for me. Not only does this apply to educators, it also applies to students. When we allow them to find meaning -they engage and they dedicate themselves into the content and tasks, and thus receive positive feedback/better grades. Thus, a positive feedback loop.

When educators are engaged and inspired, they give it their all, and thus receive better yearly reviews and we are more likely to be proactive about developing our skills. We are less likely to feel burnt out and isolated because we engage with others and seek out learning experiences. Is this meaning? Is this commitment to our craft meaning? So does engagement add meaning or does meaning add engagement? 

Sometimes, we as educators, fall victim to the pressures of it. As the writer Mark Slouka says, we become part of the "Church of Work." That organizations expect us to sacrifice other sources of meaning and engage fully in the realm of the organization. Family, friends, hobbies, etc.- we must fall out of balance, because the expectations of the job, require us to let go of our personal lives. Does this ever happen to you? It feels in education to be an unspoken expectation sometimes- but as educators we place this on ourselves- because we feel guilty if we don't engage fully into our meaning of education. But we have to let go sometimes- we have to take care of ourselves. 

Since Covid appeared, many educators are stepping back, are finding meaning in more than education, are letting go a bit. The guilt of doing this can feel like you are losing meaning. But in actuality, stepping away and taking care of your mental and physical health, will reignite your meaning. It will allow you to find more balance and positive emotions, and this is what is happening to me. I am finding meaning in many things and this only heightens my meaning in education. I no longer am on one knee at the altar of education- I am standing tall and seeing all aspects of it clearly. And, even with all of the negativity being launched at education, I find myself  more committed, engaged, and full of more meaning. I am remembering my why. Why am I doing this?

Hackman and Oldman tell us, that when your work has a clear purpose in the world, there is a task identity (we follow a whole task from start to finish), and autonomy- we are more likely to find it meaningful. It makes sense to us as educators- teaching I feel has these three characteristics and for me it has meaning. 

We have opportunities to shine, to show our full potential- if we accept the challenge. I find value in what I am doing- educating children has meaning for me. I share the principles with other educators, I stay connected with others and I reflect on my skills and growth. This brings me meaning.

Catherine Bailey from King's College London and Adrian Madden from NYU, boiled meaningful work down to 5 characteristics- they feel work is self-transcendent to workers (for me educators) if:

1- it matters to others, not just themselves

2- it inspires a wide range of emotions- not just happiness

3- it is episodic- meaning it may not always feel meaningful

4- it is retrospective, it might not register as meaningful until after the fact

5- it is not confined to a workspace (classroom) is intertwined with one's own life, values and experiences.

This my friends is the essence, the magical ebb and flow of education. It is both emotionally charged and emotionally fulfilling. It is both individualistically meaningful and social. It gets expressed in a larger audience and it embraces the smaller moments. Meaning is personal, we grasp for it sometimes, and other times it finds us. Education is a field tumultuous these days but if you slow down, even pause and listen- you will hear meaning in the laughter and conversations of your students. 

We are living in what Bailey and Madden call a "meaningfulness ecosystem." This ecosystem I will describe as- a school vibe, an energy we create in our buildings and classrooms. They say this ecosystem includes four elements:

1- the need to understand the schools values and objectives

2- the need to understand the purpose of education in the broader sense

3- the need to understand why specific tasks matter

4- the need to have supportive relationships and meaningful interactions

If we do not feel these things, we can feel lost and disconnected. We can lose sight of our meaning.

I have written their characteristics, in an educational context. For me this is all apart of my meaning. Why education is meaningful to me. Sometimes; I struggle. I get frustrated and lose sight of my why, my meaning. I write a lot, I reflect a lot, I find meaning in my stress. For the stress is another layer of this profession. I fail and hide. I fail and get back up. I feel isolated and alone. I feel undervalued and ignored. I feel attacked and misunderstood- as do we all. But, ultimately I feel meaning. I know I have value and that my role as an educator changes lives. Inspires people. It has meaning.

But the field of education has become a bully pulpit for many who need a reason to snip the rope and allow others to fall. We might feel like there is no net below our trapeze but there is- it is connection. With Twitter, Facebook, Instagram- whatever social media you prefer. It is with colleagues in our building. It is with blog posts and articles- books and conferences. It is with chats and slow chats and just Tweets going out into the universe from educators who find meaning in this profession we call education.

So find your meaning. Try to find the answer to Why am I doing this? I hope it is because you have a connection and meaninging to what you do. That you love it.

Let your negativity linger and then tear it apart with optimism. We can not be happy all the time- or even positive every moment of the day. 

Our jobs are crazy- a crazy no one else understands, or has the right to ridicule. So reach out to others who you know are in it for the long haul. That have experienced the emotional roller-coaster and trapeze swing- and have grappled with their meaning, but find the deep rhythm, harmony, lure and attraction of classroom existence. 

We are here. So don't give up, we got you.