Happiness is Growth

We are happiest when we are growing. I believe so deeply in the research on this that the first chapter of Legacy of Learning is dedicated accordingly. As I say in chapter one, “Our happiness levels matter in a big way as educators because our growth matters in a big way.” Now, of course, we also deserve happiness because it makes our lives better, and we deserve really good lives but when it comes to our work, happiness isn’t fluff, it’s critical to our growth. Our growth as educators is critical because when we grow, our students grow.

Last week, teacher leaders and administrators from across our school district spent time learning with Mike Rutherford, author of The Artisan Teacher and the Seven Tools for Developing Teachers and Teaching. This is our third year learning with Mike about not only the research on why non-evaluative feedback and coaching is so important and impactful but how to give impactful, non-evaluative feedback to teachers.

An important learning from our time with Mike was this: teachers can and do grow without non-evaluative feedback and coaching, but they won’t grow as much. This makes a lot of sense. He talked to us about how hard it is to float above ourselves and reflect on our work. We can try. We can reflect and improve, but it’s much harder to do alone which makes growing a challenge even for the best of teachers.

A common misconception is that non-evaluative coaching and feedback is only for struggling teachers. Mike reminded us that actually the best teachers “don’t want to just get older, they want to get better.” Many teachers leave districts because they want to work on high-performing teams. They want to continuously grow and excel at what they do. Sure, they also want and deserve more competitive wages. And sure, they want to work for principals who are strong leaders. This is true as well, but we should not underestimate the value the best educators place on growth and development.

I’ve heard leaders talk about hiring good people and getting out of their way. We certainly don’t want to get in the way of good work. And yes, removing barriers to the work is an important part of leadership. But we are missing the mark if we think that good leadership means no feedback or coaching for our professions best and brightest. In fact, Mike has cited research that teachers grow twice as much from non-evaluative feedback and coaching than they do without it.

This doesn’t have to be deficit-based, in fact, we’ve learned from Mike that we can learn more from feedback and coaching that amplifies areas of strength. That’s true for all human beings, and it’s a truth that is too often overlooked.

So, this week, go out of your way to name with great specificity something positive you see someone do and the positive impact that was made. Do it outside of an assessment or evaluation process. The receiver is more likely to replicate the good after that feedback, and you will get a lot personally out of noticing and naming the good too. 🙂