Where Is the Hope?

Suzanne DaileyBlog, Lead Better, Self Care Better, Teach Happier

TL;DR:

  • Maintain August optimism all year with strategies to sustain hope and engagement.
  • Asking “Where is the hope?” helps find positive aspects in challenging situations, shifting focus from negativity.
  • Regularly asking about hopeful events helps maintain emotional engagement and resilience.

In August, most educators feel things they don’t often feel in October or February: rested, balanced, optimistic, and hopeful. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could channel this balanced, optimistic, and hopeful version of ourselves throughout the upcoming school year?

Hope in Our Schools

Hope is an interesting concept, especially in schools. Teaching is hope in action. Hope is becoming more a part of the conversation in education. In 2022, I attended a wonderful session at the Teach Better Conference facilitated by Cathleen Beachboard. Her session was titled Using Hope Science to Improve School Well-being, Happiness & Resilience.

Cathleen taught us that everyone has hope, but the amount we have is critical to our success. Hope is “Psychological Capital,” just like resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy.  Hope changes our brain. As hope increases, stress/anxiety on the prefrontal cortex decreases. Emotionally engaged educators are pretty hopeful people. Chances are, if you are emotionally engaged in your personal or professional life, it’s probably because you have figured out to stay that way. Teachers are the ultimate “Hope Ambassadors.”

We get what we think about. Before we move forward this school year, let’s take a moment to go inward. What do we anticipate and expect? Let’s ask ourselves: Where is our hope? What is our hope? Click To Tweet

At this time of the school year, our hope and optimism are more than likely high. It’s that magical time where anticipation and expectation come together as we begin again. I’ve been wondering if there is something we can do to help us stay as emotionally engaged as possible as the year goes on and things become routine and hope and optimism may waver.  It reminds me of a conversation from last fall. My takeaways have been sitting in my notes since then, and almost one year later, it feels like the right time to share because I think it can help sustain our hope and keep us emotionally engaged as we do our important work.

Finding Hope

Here’s the conversation: Last October, I reconnected with a former colleague who now works in a different district. At the time of our conversation, things in my district were a little….topsy-turvy. Without getting too specific, there had been some unexpected personnel changes, the current state of the district and community morale was questionable at best, and we were coming upon a pretty contentious school board election. Balanced, optimistic, and hopeful were not in plentiful supply at this uncertain time.

As we listed ALL of the things that were causing our heads and hearts distress, my friend and I looked at each other like that emoji with the arms out shrugging saying, “I don’t know!”

After our conversation peaked, it paused. She then asked me a question that changed the trajectory of the conversation and helped adjust my focus. She asked, “Ok. So where is the hope?”

Where is the hope?

This simple question, “Where is the hope?” forced us out of the spiral of uncertainty and darkness, and pushed us towards finding the possible good. We realized that hope lay in many places once we started to name them: in the good people working for kids, in opportunities for change, and in the way folks began to heal.

Hope was there. We just had to find it.

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Sustaining Hope

This out-loud conversation last October has helped my inner dialogue many times in these months afterwards. As a mom, teacher, community member, American citizen, and all the other personal and professional roles, when I ask myself, “Where is the hope?” I am gently encouraged to do the work to find hope even when things feel…hopeless. This small shift in thought helps me keep going today when I know a new day is coming. It’s almost like mining for a possible bright spot in the future that helps me move through the present.

One of my favorite ways this simple question shows up at school is as a positivity pause that I use with students or colleagues. I simply ask, “What is the most hopeful thing you’ve seen this week?” There’s a thoughtful pause as we scan for the good.  This small shift in thought can help us stay emotionally engaged in our work and our lives.

As author Bob Goff says, “Hope doesn’t go to sleep just because it’s dark outside; it lights a candle and stays up waiting for the rest of the story.”

We get what we think about. Before we move forward this school year, let’s take a moment to go inward. What do we anticipate and expect? Let’s ask ourselves: Where is our hope? What is our hope?

 Small Shifts, BIG Gifts!

What happens to your thoughts when you ask, “Where is the hope?” Give this a try as an educator and maybe one other role you have in your fully lived life. See if it helps you scan for the good and keep you emotionally engaged.

 

About Suzanne Dailey

Suzanne Dailey is a proud member of the Teach Better Family! She is an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District where she has the honor and joy of working with elementary teachers and students in 15 buildings. Suzanne is Nationally Board Certified, a Fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a master’s degree in Reading. She is dedicated to nurturing and developing the whole child and teacher. Suzanne lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Check out the Teach Happier Podcast here!