Teaching: Beauty and Depth
Circle 9 by John Pritchard from lowrisingart.com
I was recently invited to be the keynote speaker at the University of Buckingham for their trainee teachers. The title of the talk was a bit self-deprecating (Lessons From a Failed Teacher: How to Avoid Burnout and Thrive in Teaching”) but that’s my sense of humour! In the talk, I shared with them my own burnout and how they could learn to recognise their own signs of potential burnout and avoid them.
At the beginning of the talk, I shared this beautiful image with them.
This stunning piece of art was created by a good friend of mine, John, who is not only a phenomenal artist and musician but also an ex-headteacher, coach and supervisor.
When I was considering the starter to my presentation (yes, I still use starters and plenaries!) I reflected that this piece of art was, quite honesty, perfect for the job.
So, I asked the attendees:
What connections, if any, do you draw between this artwork and teaching?
I received some fabulous responses:
There’s always a lot going on in teaching. It’s difficult to keep on top of it all.
It’s good to step back and see the whole picture of teaching: there’s a lot of beauty in it but this can sometimes be lost in the day-to-day fire fighting.
There are many layers to being a teacher. You’re not just a teacher. You’re a manager, a counsellor, a nurse, a data analyst, a mediator and more.
There are some bright parts that you love and other bits that are a bit darker and you’re less enthused about.
You can sometimes feel out of control.
“There is so much light and joy in teaching, yet so many areas that can overshadow this.”
What I utterly loved about this question was the fact that it reiterated the complexity of teaching alongside the beauty and joy that it can bring to teachers. The depth to the job is something that I loved. I felt driven and involved in the ever-changing nature of teaching and enjoyed that no two days were ever the same.
The feedback from the question also showed the passion that these new teachers already had for their work.
Now, the sceptics among us may say that teachers just qualifying are still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with the unknowing enthusiasm that you bring to the beginning of your career.
This may be case. Yet, I think it is often this joy and enthusiasm that can become lost. As one attendee did reflect, you can begin to feel out of control.
“Teaching can leave you feeling out of control.”
This feeling of being out of control can begin to appear even as the new school year starts. Having taken time out of teaching, the first couple of days can feel like you are relearning how to teach. Not only that, returning to school after a period of time off can leave you feeling adrift, resentful or unprepared as the school circus winds up again.
Which brings me back to Circle 9.
I’m not going to lie: the gold/ochre/mustard colour that draws your eye in this artwork is one of my favourite colours. It reminds me of daybreak; a new dawn with the sun splitting up the morning sky. I love that it is irregular and random as it overlays the other colours.
Because, on some level, this does reflect teaching. Yes, there is some regularity to it. You have your timetable. You have your classes. There are expectations.
But your experiences and your outlook give you opportunities to discover the random elements of joy in your day-to-day life. You can find ways to inject light and beauty into your teaching.
Even better? You get to choose how.