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Building a successful career isn’t just about being the best of the best. It also involves finding the joy in what you do. A feeling of appreciation is incredibly important for the deep satisfaction that your career could potentially deliver.
We live in a world where most people think that teachers, particularly public school educators, are underappreciated. At the same time, 82 percent of teens believe that their teachers deserve more recognition for everything that they’re doing in the classroom. It’s good to know that 81 percent of surveyed teenagers say that they give teachers respect and recognition for the positive impact that they’ve had.
Beautiful cards from kids and kind words can make the job of an educator a lot more meaningful. Appreciation, however, should start from within. Only a teacher knows how much work and effort go into the preparation of every single lesson. Thus, if you don’t hold respect for the work that you do and you’re not proud of it, chances are that others will also fail to notice.
Being a Teacher in a Changing World
We live in a rapidly changing world. Several generations have already grown with access to information and interactive entertainment opportunities. Educational reforms have been carried out to address these changing realities. Many of these reforms have failed.
The manner in which parents and their children perceive teachers has also changed.
Studies involving parents today are quite telling. When questioned, 91 percent of these adults said that their parents respected teachers. Today, only 49 percent of parents share the same level of respect for educators.
It’s also interesting to point out that only 40 percent of the parents questioned said that their children respected teachers. In reality, the accurate figure was close to 31 percent.
As an educator, you’ll face challenges that your predecessors didn’t have to deal with. Today’s youth is growing up with a lot more freedom and a lot more information than previous generations. Children have a shorter attention span and it takes a lot of effort to keep them actively engaged.
Being a teacher in a changing world is incredibly challenging. You’ll face pressures inside the school, pressures from parents and even from the kids that you’re teaching. This is the main reason why you need to have an appreciation for yourself. You’re doing something tremendously difficult, something that few will be capable of handling. Your inner strength and perseverance deserve recognition.
Recognize the Work that You’re doing
There are several simple, yet highly effective ways to recognize the work that you’re doing and feel the deep inner appreciation for your efforts.
You may want to identify a positive impact that you’ve had on a certain student during the day. It could be someone who isn’t always engaged or particularly strong on the subject. It could be a passionate group discussion that took place under your skillful guidance.
It’s even a good idea to start a journal in which you write positive things on a daily basis. Creating such a journal is as easy as including a few bullet points per day. You may want to put emphasis on a successful new educational strategy, an honest conversation you’ve had with a student or the recognition that you’ve received from your coworkers.
Being a bit more observant and paying attention to the positive impact your work is having can boost your motivation level and help you feel even more satisfied when doing your job.
Learn from Others and Show Them Some Respect
Positive vibes often come from sharing your appreciation with others.
It’s a good idea to have role models in your career. A role model could be a senior teacher, an administrator that has been in the school for decades or even a parent who’s doing a particularly good job in terms of child upbringing.
Sharing a few words of encouragement and appreciation with others will result in positive vibes. You can easily work on a culture of gratitude and respect at the educational institution where you work. Notice the way your words impact others and the manner in which they reciprocate. If you’re open to recognizing role models, chances are that you’ll feel so much better going to work every single morning.
Appreciate Both Your Strengths and Your Weaknesses
A high level of self-awareness is particularly important for career development. This is the main reason why you have to appreciate your strengths and view your weaknesses as learning opportunities.
If you need to, make a list of all the personal and the professional characteristics that make you feel like you’re a good teacher. Taking the time to sit down and consciously ponder your strengths can help you uncover characteristics that you weren’t consciously aware of.
When feeling down, you can read the list to remind yourself of all the characteristics worth appreciating.
It’s also a good idea to draft a list of weaknesses. By taking some time to consider those, you can eventually uncover opportunities for further growth. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging the fact that you’re not perfect. In fact, such practices make you stronger and much more capable of moving forward.
Educators have a tough and responsible job. Everything you’re doing is having an impact on a big group of young individuals. You deserve some appreciation for this amazing impact. Start practicing self-appreciation on a daily basis. Once you make such practices a part of your regular existence, you’ll also get to enjoy a serious positive change in attitude and self-perception.