Teaching is a strange combination of community and isolation. Of course, you are always surrounded by people; you are immersed in the community of each individual class you teach, and in the global atmosphere of the classroom itself that you as a teacher create. (Have you noticed the unique “feel” each classroom has just upon walking in the door, even given standardized furnishings?) You are a member of a department, and part of a school faculty. Given all of that, how is it possible that so many teachers feel a sense of isolation?
It happens as the bell rings, and the classroom door shuts, and we are left standing in a room with our students. Most often, we are the only adult in the room, all day long. In this room every day we make thousands of decisions, and are responsible for supervising and educating as many as 150+ young humans. Some teachers don’t even make it to the cafeteria to socialize at lunch time — they huddle at their desks trying to get some grading or planning done, or stay to assist students who need extra help. Lately, even planning periods are likely taken up by covering classes for absent colleagues. If you are newly hired, are the only person teaching a subject, or find yourself with a different teaching orientation than your colleagues, the sense of isolation can become even stronger.
How do teachers with long careers banish feelings of isolation on the job? Here are some good strategies I’ve seen that will work even if schools aren’t making efforts to help:
- Take time to interact with colleagues throughout the day. Join other teachers in the lunchroom; take a few minutes at the start and end of the day to stop by the department workroom or classrooms of colleagues to check in.
- Devote time to observe other teachers in action (with their permission); especially teachers in other disciplines. Get out of the science department and observe a physical education class, an art class, language arts or social studies. Try asking your students or administrators for recommendations; spend half a prep hour a couple of times a month doing this and you will be rewarded with new appreciation for and connection with your colleagues, fresh ideas to use in your own classes, and many uplifting moments. Be sure to send a quick thank-you note with some positive thoughts to the teachers you observe; it will be appreciated.
- Volunteer to work with fellow staff members on a school or district committee or professional reading group. (Don’t over-commit your time, but joining in with colleagues to work on meaningful change can be refreshing and rewarding)
- Get to know support staff of all types on your campus. Stop in at the guidance office to meet with folks who work with the students you teach, before any problems come up. Introduce yourself and find out the services and support they offer to students, and ask about how you can best work as a team. Do the same with front office, security and maintenance staff! You may be surprised how many friendly, caring folks surround you; building and caring for this network can make a real difference.
- If you struggle to find like-minded colleagues at your school, try state, regional or national organizations. Follow pod-casters or bloggers who interest you and participate in virtual conversations. Attend state, regional or national conferences for your subject area and start to build a network of supportive friends.
- Don’t forget self-care. Scale back the need for perfection, get rest, exercise, and spend time with family, friends and hobbies to recharge your mind and body.
Research has shown an interesting negative correlation between teachers’ feelings of efficacy and success at their job and feelings of isolation and marginalization. If highly effective and motivated teachers are less likely to feel isolated (as this study found), I wonder if overwhelming feelings of isolation, which have only been compounded by the challenges of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, might cause perfectly good teachers to feel ineffective and less motivated. We work hard at establishing a welcoming community in our classroom for students because we know how important it is. We need to have the same for teachers as well.
SciencEdLife 