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The Educator's Emotional Health

Note: This article was first published in Portuguese at Didaquê, TeachBeyond Brazil’s educational resource website. Click here to access the original article.

The invitation to think about the teacher's psycho-emotional development leads me to think about love — a broad feeling, a decision made in each relationship, an action taken, a spontaneous emotion. Can love be measured? In her book Hold Me Tight, Sue Johnson develops the concept of the therapy of love.[1] From her work, we can consider 3 points: accessibility, receptivity and engagement.

How accessible is the teacher? Can students get your attention easily? Do you make it clear to the students that they are special? As a student, am I feeling lonely or excluded from my teacher's list of relationships? Can I share my deepest feelings with my teacher?

How receptive is the teacher? If a student needs connection or comfort, are you available? Do you give away signs that you are approachable? When students feel insecure, do they know that you support them? Even when there are conflicts between you and your students, do your students feel that they matter to you? If a student needs to be sure of their importance to you, will they get it?

To what extent is the teacher engaged? Do your students feel comfortable with you, and can they trust you? Can they trust you in almost anything? Do students feel confident with you, even from a distance? Do you care about the joys, sufferings and fears of your students? Do you feel safe enough to take risks with students?

Answering this set of questions can show if the teacher is on the right path to a safe connection with students and to strengthening bonds with them. Sharing such questions and talking to someone about them, looking for feedback, perhaps can be the first step to enabling a connection between the educator and his or her students. The students' perception of the teacher as being accessible, receptive and engaged is equivalent to the educator's vision of him- or herself and an indicator of whether the relationship between them is safe.

This process is actually a way of measuring the educator's love for the students. This sacred crossing anticipates the decision “to be available for a psycho-emotional career, even before a professional career.” In his book Sacred Intersections, the educator Steve Adams says it is necessary to have discernment when relating with others, so that we may give them the respect that they are due.[2] In whatever we do, it is important for us to have an internal attitude of “being there for the other” that translates into external acts of kindness.

In this way, we can build a reputation, a trajectory, a history of gratitude, and become grateful, inviting, attractive and also joyful and content. In the perspective of psycho-emotional development, it is more important to first become an educator in the family, with friends, neighbors, colleagues, clients, and strangers than to become a teacher. Anyway, may this transformational education that uses the vision of love reach everyone around me, who in turn will start to contribute to my life.

On the other hand, understanding that I need to remain an educator means that I must constantly invest in my own learning, because when we really learn, we apply what we learned. When it comes to love, I like to think we have a Master to follow, because love is the goal or the higher purpose of every profession. Perhaps the best description is the one found 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”[3]

Jesus Christ called this commandment “new”, and He Himself was the example for our being able to practice this command, through His becoming a servant on our behalf; giving Himself for us, so that He might redeem us from all evil; bearing our sins (lifestyle) in His body all the way to the cross; giving His life for us; making constant intercession for us; pitying our weaknesses; helping us when we are tempted; being patience with our sins; forgiving our sins; cleansing us from all unrighteousness; giving us fullness of life; preparing us a place to be with Him.

As His word states: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18). The psycho-emotional health of the educator must be constantly watched. When you become unaware of how you might be impacting others negatively, it is because you have already become ill.

We need to be aware of our contents, our values, our truths, our beliefs. It is necessary to have an empathetic look at our followers, a thoughtful attitude, an accepting posture, a decision for forgiveness, a constant breaking down of prejudices, and to demonstrate love through concrete acts of service. The true educator is the one who cares, who sustains, who reconciles, who nourishes. What are you inspiring? Ask your students.

Juçara Tonet Dini
National Director
TeachBeyond Brazil
Juçara is a journalist and a specialist in Systemic Family Therapy, Organizational Psychology and Theology.

                                                                                                                                                  

[1] Johnson, S. (2008). Hold me tight. Little, Brown Spark.
[2] Adams, S. (2012). Sacred intersections. ThreeFiveSix Press.
[3] All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Photo Credits:
Arbor Christian Academy. Used with permission.
Morning Glory. Used with permission.
Trevor Harder (Instagram: @trevorjharder). Used with permission.

22 Dec 21
by Guest
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