When Teachers Feel Devalued

Hey, Teachers!

Are you feeling devalued as a classroom teacher? Feeling badly about yourself because of what others are saying about you? Or experiencing disconnect with students?

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Our self-worth is constantly in question when it comes to negative topdown management and decisions over which we have little to no control. 😬

How can you develop a stronger sense of "self" when your teaching world seems to say you aren't valued much at all? 

Following are THREE WAYS TO COMBAT FEELING DEVALUED in the classroom:

1. ➡️ REVISIT YOUR BOUNDARIES

HAVE YOU ESTABLISHED YOUR AUTHORITY IN THE CLASSROOM AND WITH COLLEAGUES? 

     Many school situations can lead to feeling devalued as a classroom teacher. These include (a) cutthroat administrative decision-making, (b) the way we're treated by supervisors, (c) discordant relationships with colleagues, and (d) difficult relationships with students and parents/guardians. We also face challenges when implementing policies that may not align with our personal beliefs about what should be happening in our classrooms. 

      How do we rectify that disconnect? 🤔

      By setting boundaries.

      This means you determine what you will and won't accept in your teaching world (even if it's just a quiet reminder to yourself). Letting go of what you can't control is part of this process. We can also choose when and where to speak out about our concerns.

      This means deciding what's safe to share and how or when you'll share it. Staying silent 100% of the time about ethical issues, our teaching roles, performance evaluation expectations, and our concerns about interpersonal relationships "just to keep the machine running" is not ideal. Find ways to integrate your valuable teacher voice into conversations about topics that affect you, while maintaining a diplomatic and non-threatening stance. There are ways to ask questions that (a) confirm whether you can or can't change a situation, or (b) provide a possible pathway for the change you'd like to see.

      Although negative teaching circumstances can evoke feelings of being devalued, we choose how far we let that stress (and self-image) sink in.

      And if you're feeling devalued by your students, revisit the #1 component of strong classroom management: establishing your authority. Students will test us and push our boundaries. When we feel devalued by students, we are part of that problem space. What can you do to turn things around?

     In short, building positive teacher-student relationships is a skill good teachers develop over time. The key is knowing your student population, what motivates that population, and creating boundaries in the classroom that reinforce a positive structure and learning environment where students feel successful and cared about, and you feel more successful (and valuable) as an educator. 💜

FIGURE OUT BETTER COPING STRATEGIES. BOOK YOUR FREE DISCOVERY CALL WITH DR. SHEA

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2. ➡️ REFRAME YOUR THINKING

WHAT ARE OTHERS SAYING ABOUT YOU (THAT'S NEGATIVE) THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO INTERNALIZE?

     One of the worst experiences at work is being talked about--by peers or supervisors. When this happens we may feel no one is in our corner or there's nowhere to turn for support at school.

     Instead of choosing to remain in the down position, reframing our thinking about what's possible is essential if we're already being labeled as "not being a team player" or as a teacher who is "non-compliant" (this discussion excludes non-compliance issues that branch into breaking a professional code of ethics or the law; that's a different situation and beyond the scope of this article). 

      In the area of non-compliance, something you are saying or doing is leading others to believe you're not on board with teacher expectations.

     What to do?

     Reframing how we approach our teaching roles and interactions with others can improve how we feel about ourselves. We may never fully be what others want us to be, but we can work toward building better and stronger working relationships. 

      In these situations, working to restore balance is paramount.

      Affirming our self-worth to ourselves is also paramount when we feel devalued as teachers. 

FIGURE OUT BETTER COPING STRATEGIES. BOOK YOUR FREE DISCOVERY CALL WITH DR. SHEA

And Snag Your: 5 WAYS TO STAY RESILIENT IN THE CLASSROOM FREE DOWNLOAD 

3. ➡️ MAGNIFY YOUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE

IN WHAT AREAS DO YOU HAVE THE MOST CONTROL? 

     Sometimes, the best way to combat feeling devalued is to emphasize connectivity, and this includes our teaching talents. Our classroom is one place we can shine by emphasizing the kind of teaching and learning dynamic that truly draws in learners. The more we work on the art of teaching (never mastered but always practiced), the better the classroom experience is for us and our students. 

     Every teacher needs a safe space where we feel heard, connected, and maybe even loved as friends. These are lifelong friendships, or the relationships we have with a handful of teachers we talk with regularly who both share our concerns and understand our conflicts. 

      When we invest time and energy into the relationships that are working already, this too, can increase our feelings of value and self-worth because we are aligned with others based on shared experiences and goals. To put this simply: find a trusted friend.

      Your circle of influence might also include roles outside of teaching such as committee chair, grade level or department chair, coach, after school play director, or student club advisor or sponsor. Pouring ourselves into the areas of our teaching world that are functional, stable, rewarding, and noticeably successful can also promote stronger internal feelings of self-worth. Maximize those roles.

      There's no doubt about it: We experience many circumstances that can lead to feeling devalued.

      But we still have a responsibility: We can acknowledge those feelings, recognize limitations on the job, and determine the best course of action to change our cycles of thinking from perpetuating negative feelings of self-worth to creating spaces where we can ground ourselves and maybe even thrive.

      Teaching can be a rollercoaster ride. Some years are harder than others. No school year is the same. Some areas of teaching are predictable. Others are not.

     The bottom line when we feel devalued as teachers is to reaffirm who we are as teachers to reduce internal negative thoughts, and increase positive working relationships. How we think about who we are and what we do is foundational to retaining our enthusiasm and happiness, and sustaining a lifelong career in education.

      When we change how we think about our teaching roles, we can also achieve personal transformation, which is the ultimate goal in any area of the living experience. 🪁