Teacher Energy

Eva P, principal, Rochelle D, Maria M. and Erin M. Fulbright DA Recipients

Ecosystems work because energy is produced and consumed. A quick search of "ecosystem energy flow" brought me to some great essential questions that I'm going to adapt for education ecosystems.
1. What factors limit welcoming in ecosystems?
2. How does knowledge move in the ecosystem?
3. How does a sense of belonging move through an ecosystem?

Before answering these questions, I want to focus on teacher energy by asking the question "how does teacher energy move through the education ecosystem?"
One question I consistently ask the educators I visit in Greece is, "Why do you work here?"
Most have taught in the same school for over 10 years and most near 20. I think their answers need to be amplified.
"I love it!" was Eva's reply. She's the principal at an intercultural school in Palaio Faliro. Her work is challenging and would overwhelm a less seasoned professional. Eva is new to the principal position but taught at the school for many years. Her love for her school, she clarifies, is really for the children. "They have so many stories." Even though those stories include displacement, trauma and being a refugee, Eva inspires her staff to take on the extra load of learning new pedagogy to help reach the diverse needs of their learners.




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At another intercultural primary school, the English teacher whose career at the school has spanned decades said he can't leave because this is his family. He said he's an institution. This intercultural school faces the same challenges as Eva's school. Little community support, either financially or socially, is given because these schools are largely populated by children who have experienced refugee displacement. Each time I visited these schools they had new students that very day, who were among several new students that very week, and were filling the seats of students who'd moved on to other EU countries recently. Seeing academic progress is hard for these teachers, whose students speak many languages and are at different academic levels. Many teachers stay, however, and work to improve their practice so they can reach each student.

Sissy, a teacher at the 87th school near Monastiraki describes the school as a family but that family extends beyond the staff. The children often return to the school after they move on to gymnasium (middle school) because it feels like a family. Dora, the principal at the school, exhibits the same leadership qualities as Eva. She inspires her staff to find ways to not just meet students from immigrant families where they are, but to celebrate their cultures in ways that are meaningful for students. I saw many projects that focused on student voice, including a service project to help other newcomers learn the vocabulary of school in multiple languages.

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Dora, principal, Sissy, teacher at 49th Primary School, with Maria M. & Erin M. Fulbright DA

Yiotta, a high school English teacher also feels a community connection. It is clear she enjoys a great rapport with her students and colleagues. Her students show a level of comfort with her and their classmates. They speak their mind on issues that affect them (which I will address later) but they recognize that many teachers work hard to modify and adapt the standardized curriculum to help them stay engaged.
Can we conclude that just as plants in an ecosystem take in sunshine to store energy, educators absorb support from colleagues and students and from doing work with purpose?
 Teacher resilience, according to Drew and Sosnowski (2019) is synonymous with well-being, sense of belonging, passion, and engagement. Resilience is the key to managing adversity and uncertainty. The educators I've met may not feel in balance, but they do demonstrate a feeling of agency and the "sense of commitment" Drew and Sosnowski describe.

Take Action

Resilience, especially two years into a global pandemic, is a word in danger of overuse. Discarding it like other education buzzwords such as "pivot" and "learning loss," however, would be a grave mistake. Among the dedicated educators I've met in Greece I see resilience that is built on commitment but renewed by a connection to a global purpose.
Julie, a primary school English teacher at 3rd Elementary School of Zografou , has helped her school qualify for many projects that create cross-country partnerships through various Erasmus projects.
Iliana, a high school history and literature teacher at 1st Vocational High School of Perama, also participates in Erasmus projects, as do virtually all of the teachers I've met.
What does this mean for American education?
Students across Europe and around the world are benefitting from global partnerships. Teachers benefit from the transformative power of collaboration and cultural exchange. Although states have different standards and requirements, inter-state and trans-national cooperation should be a priority as we look to reboot education post-pandemic. We urgently need to embrace educators now and help them stay connected because many are feeling isolated from the communities they teach. By embrace I mean support these professionals who are committed to public service. Just like the teachers I've talked to in Greece, many American educators go way beyond the minimum. They seek out their own professional development because they love learning and teaching. School systems should prioritize this kind of learning by supporting it financially, celebrating it, and using it as a starting point for collaboration and innovation. Educators are a wealth of knowledge and skill. They hold the power you need to transform. I'll boldly suggest that school systems invest in teacher-led asset-based school community development rather than pay consultants to analyze and develop solutions.
Finally, teacher workload is important to consider. In Greece primary school ends at 1:15 but many teachers work through the afternoon and take classes after hours. The work hours expectation, however, is not as high as the hours an American teacher is expected to put in each week. Respect the work-life balance teachers need to bring energy to their work each day and to stay in education as a long-term career.

This is a start. These are factors to consider.

Sources:
Drew, S. & Sosnowski, C. (2019). Emerging theory of teacher resilience: a situational analysis. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 18(4), 492–507.

Julie G., right, with a 1st grade student and teacher, and the PE teacher, helping students plant lettuce seeds for the school garden.

Iliana A., center, inspires her students. Maria M and I were lucky to observe her class.