The Reignited Educator by Solution Tree

EDUCATOR REIGNITED The

REDISCOVERING EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND PURPOSE IN YOUR PROFESSION

EDUCATOR REIGNITED The

REDISCOVERING EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND PURPOSE IN YOUR PROFESSION

FOREWORD BY JIM SPORLEDER

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Froehlich, Mandy, author.

Title: The reignited educator : rediscovering emotional engagement and purpose in your profession / Mandy Froehlich.

Description: Bloomington, IN : Solution Tree Press, [2024] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2024007595 (print) | LCCN 2024007596 (ebook) | ISBN 9781960574862 (paperback) | ISBN 9781960574879 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Teachers--Mental health. | Teachers--Job stress--Prevention. | Burn out (Psychology)--Prevention. | Well-being.

Classification: LCC LB2840 .F76 2024 (print) | LCC LB2840 (ebook) | DDC 371.1001/9--dc23/eng/20240606

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024007595

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024007596

Solution Tree

Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO

Edmund M. Ackerman, President

Solution Tree Press

President and Publisher: Douglas M. Rife

Associate Publishers: Todd Brakke and Kendra Slayton

Editorial Director: Laurel Hecker

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This book is lovingly dedicated to Brycen, Goose, Cortlynne, Addisyn, Dan, my family, and my friends who have been my anchors and pillars of strength. Thank you to the EduMatch team for supporting me in this endeavor. Also, special tribute goes out to everyone who has supported me in this journey, even if you didn’t know it, and even if it was done quietly.

Acknowledgments

Solution Tree Press would like to thank the following reviewers:

Lindsey Bingley Literacy and Numeracy Lead

Foothills Academy Society Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Shanna Martin

Middle School Teacher & Instructional Coach

School District of Lomira Lomira, Wisconsin

Jennifer Rasmussen Literacy Specialist and Instructional Service Director CESA 4 West Salem, Wisconsin

Kory Taylor

Reading Interventionist

Arkansas Virtual Academy Little Rock, Arkansas

Bryn Williams

Principal Coquitlam School District, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Visit go.SolutionTree.com/educatorwellness to download the free reproducibles in this book.

CHAPTER 6 – Rewiring the Brain With Positivity

About the Author

Mandy Froehlich is a passionate and experienced educator who has dedicated her career to inspiring change in teaching. Currently serving as a Director of Technology and Philanthropy for a school district in Wisconsin and the Chief Operating Officer of EduMatch, Froehlich has a wealth of experience in various educational roles. She began her journey as a classroom teacher, where she developed a deep understanding of the joys and challenges of education. Her passion for integrating technology into the classroom led her to a role as a technology integrator, where she worked alongside teachers to integrate technology through effective instruction and solid pedagogical practices.

In her subsequent Director of Innovation and Technology role, she oversaw the implementation of technology initiatives and worked to ensure that technology was used to enhance learning, not just facilitate it. Her innovative approach to technology in education has made her a sought-after consultant and speaker. She is best known for her work in educator emotional engagement and mental health advocacy, topics that are close to her heart.

Froehlich is also an author, having written several books that were the catalyst to destigmatizing educator mental health issues. Her works, including The Fire Within, Divergent EDU, and The Educator’s Matchbook, offer practical advice and thought-provoking insights into educator emotional engagement.

Froehlich holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Master’s degree in Information and Communication Technologies. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Educational Sustainability, furthering her commitment to creating sustainable, positive change in education.

Foreword

As I sit down to write this foreword for The Reignited Educator: Rediscovering Emotional Engagement and Purpose in Your Profession, I am transported back to my days as the principal at Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, Washington. It was here, against the backdrop of the documentary Paper Tigers, that our staff embarked on a profound journey to transform our school into a trauma-responsive environment. This book by Mandy Froehlich resonates deeply with me, reflecting the very essence of the challenges and triumphs that define the educational landscape.

Mandy brings a wealth of experience to this work, having served in various educational roles before serving in the position of director of technology and philanthropy for a school district in Wisconsin. Her deep understanding of the integration of technology with effective instruction is evident throughout the book. The Reignited Educator is not just a reflection of her expertise but also a guide and inspiration for educators seeking to rekindle their passion and reaffirm their commitment to this noble profession.

The core theme of this book strikes a personal chord with me. The decision in the spring of 2010, during my tenure at Lincoln High, to address the impacts of trauma on our students led to unexpected national attention due to the significant outcomes we achieved. My background, characterized by an era that valued toughness over emotional expression, initially seemed an asset but soon revealed its limitations as I faced compassion fatigue and neglected self-care.

In The Reignited Educator, Mandy explores emotional intelligence, self-reflection, and self-compassion—essential tools for educators that were not emphasized during my early years in the profession. The prevailing ethos of my formative years—get up quicker than the person who knocked you down and never show pain—was ill-suited for the emotional demands I encountered. It was through a deeper understanding of these demands that I began to appreciate the importance of fostering well-being and resilience, not just in myself but in the educators I led.

This book offers strategies grounded in positive psychology and neuroplasticity, presenting a new perspective on how positivity can be a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. These approaches are practical and tested, drawn from Mandy’s extensive experience and her passionate commitment to education.

The Reignited Educator serves as an invaluable resource for K–12 teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and other school personnel. Its potential to transform school cultures extends beyond individual educators, promoting environments where both students and staff can thrive. Having witnessed the transformative power of embracing educational challenges with compassion and understanding, I can attest to the profound impact of the strategies shared in this book.

Additionally, Mandy encourages educators to embark on a reflective journey, inviting them to explore their own experiences and challenges. Her narrative is instructive and empathetic, acknowledging the often-overlooked emotional labor inherent in educational work. Her emphasis on self-care and building resilience is especially relevant in today’s educational climate, where burnout and stress are prevalent.

In conclusion, The Reignited Educator is more than just a guide; it is a companion for all educators on their path to rediscover the joy and purpose in their profession. It is my honor to introduce this essential book to you, confident that it will inspire and empower you to embrace the challenges and rewards of education with renewed vigor and commitment. This book holds a special place in my heart, as it echoes the journey my colleagues and I undertook at Lincoln High, and I am excited for it to inspire and support educators everywhere in reigniting their passion for teaching.

Jim Sporleder

Former Principal, Lincoln High School

Walla Walla, Washington

Introduction

I can still remember the smell of my first classroom when I walked into it. It was a mix of orange cleaning solvent, wax from the hallway floors, and the musty old building. It was my favorite combination. Recalling the scent brings me back to that time. I didn’t love every day of my job, and I didn’t love every task I was assigned, but I did love teaching. I loved teaching so much that I did everything everyone asked of me. As I excelled at the extra tasks I took on, I was asked to do more. Though I was tired and crabby with my family when I got home, I kept saying yes because I knew it was good for the students.

When people said, “You’re going to get burnt out,” I said, “That’s impossible. You can’t get burnt out doing something you love.” But you can, and I did. Too much of anything is still too much. When I began teaching, I had energy and endorphins and youth. When I burned out and disengaged, I had growing children, achy bones, and not enough caffeine. I felt I was aging at an unnatural rate, and I was deeply unhappy.

If you ask me what success is, I would say it’s being happy. It’s continuing to grow and be better while being content with how far you’ve come. It’s knowing you’ve made a positive difference in someone else’s life. It’s understanding what you bring to the table while remaining humble. Success is looking back on your life and wishing you could do it all again in nearly the same way. I knew I had to find my happiness again, so I set out to understand my disengagement, research its causes, and find healing. That journey of discovery and reengagement has made me more empathetic toward my fellow educators who have the same feelings and experiences. You know the ones I’m talking about—those who are starting to lose the light in their eyes, those who have lost the magic, those who may be looking to leave the profession. Maybe you’re one of them. Most educators want to be happy and successful; they want to positively impact their students. And yet disengagement from work prevents them from achieving it. Engagement is a choice. Reengagement takes work. And it takes time; it’s not a quick fix. But it’s necessary for those who have lost their motivation and wish to feel happy, successful, and purposeful again.

If you feel like you’re one of these people, you’re not alone. Educators are feeling the burn, and although this book will go beyond discussing burnout as the catalyst for disengagement, it is still one of the most cited reasons for educator dissatisfaction. Studies show that teacher burnout impacts students. Researcher Molly Dawes and colleagues (2024) note:

Teachers who are experiencing burnout may be less likely to spend time planning lessons, may be less prosocial to their students, and may provide less encouragement toward students which can lead students to feel incompetent and disengaged from the learning process.

A 2016 study by researchers Eva Oberle and Kimberly Schonert-Reichl finds a correlation between teachers who reported higher stress levels and burnout and elementary school students who had an elevated morning cortisol (stress hormone) level. The importance of bringing these topics to light is two-fold: teachers deserve to find happiness in their work, and their happiness impacts the students they serve.

Ultimately, our goal as educators should be to heal from the situations that caused our disengagement so we can move forward. However, healing from a situation that has significantly impacted our feelings toward our life’s work can be tricky. We have the responsibility to heal as an individual, but we may also need to incorporate our colleagues and organization in a bigger healing process. Studies involving mental health professionals find that when healing together, “groups allow for reciprocal support, as well as exchanging of practical solutions being shared. . . . With multiple other group members, there are also more options for positive emotional contagion, empathy, and compassion” (Kohrt, Ottman, Panter-Brick, Konner, & Patel, 2020). In other words, if peers from our schools and districts join our efforts in healing, we can help ourselves individually and as a group to reach that goal.

About This Book

This book is for K–12 teachers, but it applies to administrators, too. Teaching is hard and so is leading. Paraprofessionals, aides, and other positions that work with students can be impacted as well. No member of staff is immune to disengagement.

This book contains two parts. Part 1 explores factors that extinguish an educator’s passion and lead them to disengage from their work.

Chapter 1 establishes key terms and concepts, such as work engagement, employee engagement, emotional engagement, and educator disengagement. This chapter also

recognizes that educators experience engagement and disengagement not as fixed states but as a continuum. The chapter ends with a discussion of how disengagement ripples out to impact school climate, culture, and student learning outcomes.

Chapter 2 explores seven factors that contribute to educator disengagement and attrition: (1) personal adversity, (2) professional adversity, (3) teacher trauma, (4) chronic trauma from social injustices, (5) demoralization, (6) burnout, and (7) secondary traumatic stress.

Chapter 3 highlights the connection between physiology and abstract emotions by examining the complex relationship between the nervous system, emotions, and educator engagement. The chapter explains how the body responds to stress and trauma and how these experiences impact our behavior, as well as the implications for educator engagement.

Part 2 explores factors that support educators in reigniting their passion as they seek to reengage with their work.

Chapter 4 begins the transition into healing. We begin by exploring the connection between healing and resilience, hope, and posttraumatic growth. I will emphasize the importance of acknowledging and accepting the need for healing and provide strategies for educators to embark on this journey. Topics covered will include emotional intelligence, self-reflection, and various approaches to address burnout, demoralization, and secondary traumatic stress. I also note that teachers should develop a practice of self-reflection to sustain their engagement long term.

Chapter 5 emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and its role in fostering well-being and resilience for educators. I will address the challenges and dilemmas surrounding self-care, including the need for recognizing and understanding one’s personal needs and the potential pitfalls of weaponizing self-care. The chapter will explore self-care as a resilience strategy, delving into four distinct dimensions: (1) physical, (2) intellectual, (3) emotional, and (4) spiritual. The text provides activities for each dimension that readers can complete in under five minutes. Furthermore, I will discuss the implementation of selfcare practices within the classroom and share various technological tools and resources that can support educators in their self-care journey.

Chapter 6 explores the concept of positive psychology, which helps us understand how positivity can rewire the brain for healing. We will explore the relationship between positive psychology and neuroplasticity, emphasizing the potential for harnessing the power of positivity to support personal and professional growth. Readers will encounter various mindfulness practices, including

mindful intentions, gratitude stones, art therapy, and body scans, to encourage a more holistic approach to well-being. Additionally, I will underscore the importance of setting realistic expectations and avoiding toxic positivity, which can hinder genuine healing and growth, to maintain a balanced and authentic journey toward educator reengagement.

Chapter 7 discusses practices teachers can embrace to reconnect with the profession. The text guides readers to develop their purpose, core beliefs, and passion as a guiding force in their professional work. Readers learn that celebrating quick wins, savoring small joys, and avoiding toxicity are important practices to create sustainable engagement with their work.

Chapter 8 focuses on the importance of creating and sustaining supportive cultures within the educational community. The text provides advice on how educators can contribute to such a culture at the district, school, and team levels. Readers encounter strategies for promoting positive work environments, collaboration, and communication, with an emphasis on the roles of empathy, understanding, and shared goals.

The book includes an appendix with resources and activities designed to support the many strategies woven throughout the chapters. Readers will find worksheets, checklists, and detailed instructions that offer a practical guide for implementing the strategies. The appendix will become your one-stop shop for the resources you need to engage deeply with the content and develop practices for healing. I’ve tried to take the guesswork out of it, providing you with what you need to begin your journey in your own reengagement and well-being.

My research on educator emotional engagement has been my life’s work. My goal has always been to give educators the guide that I needed when I burnt out in the classroom and felt too unsafe in education to discuss my own mental health issues. My hope is, in the pages of this book, you’re able to find answers for supporting yourself or others. Not only because it’s what’s best for students, but because educators everywhere, doing their work from the heart, deserve it.

PART 1 Extinguish

CHAPTER 1

DEFINING ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT

Walk down the halls and look at your colleagues. Really see them. Notice their energy. Are they excited? Are they chatting about the next innovative lesson they’re trying with their students? Are they giggling at some witty comment a student said in class? Or do their faces look tense? Are their shoulders slumped? Do their greetings sound disingenuous? This is an exercise in witnessing various degrees of emotional engagement.

We tend not to worry about the happy colleagues. They seem to have it all together. You’ve most likely worked with these high-flying teachers, the ones who bring the oomph that we all wish we had. The challenge for teachers with this level of engagement is to maintain it over time. My experience as a teacher and consultant has shown me that schools commonly look to highly engaged teachers to take on the most work, which puts them at risk of burning out hard and fast.

Disengaged educators may appear angry and frustrated as their level of emotional exhaustion escalates, and “emotionally exhausted teachers are more likely than other teachers to experience intense negative emotions” (Wang & Burić, 2023). Participants in my workshops consistently name common behaviors of disengagement: leaving the building right after school, complaining about students, arguing against any type of change, or appearing incredibly unhappy. It’s tempting to judge these behaviors, but when we remember that disengaged teachers are human beings struggling with challenges we know nothing about, we can empathize with their experience.

If you identify as a disengaged educator, my heart goes out to you. All educators have the right to find joy in their work. My own quest for reengagement stemmed from a fundamental human desire to rediscover happiness. While I was driven to support my students, create change, and be the best educator I could be, it was yearning to break free from the perpetual cycle of anger and sadness that led me to find healing. This is why I advocate for addressing educator emotional engagement and disengagement. When educators are passionate and engaged, I trust that the difficult parts of their work begin to more naturally fall into place.

In this chapter, we define engagement and disengagement. We explore how an educator is affected by their level of engagement, recognizing that engagement is something that teachers experience on a spectrum rather than as a fixed state. Finally, we explore how educator disengagement ripples out to affect dynamics such as school culture, professional relationships, student outcomes, and educators’ ability to access innovation and divergent thinking.

Definitions

There are several terms I considered as I developed my definition of educator engagement. These include work engagement, employee engagement, and emotional engagement; it’s important to be familiar with these terms to see how they are all interconnected and impact our human-work relationship.

Work engagement refers to the degree of involvement, focus, and dedication an individual displays toward their tasks and responsibilities (Woods, 2015). It’s about being genuinely immersed in one’s work, striving for excellence, and feeling a sense of accomplishment.

What about employee engagement? Author Kevin Kruse (2012) defines employee engagement not as happiness or satisfaction, although those may be felt in engagement, but as “the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals.” Unlike work engagement, then, employee engagement extends beyond the tasks themselves to encompass the individual’s connection to the organization as a whole. This includes being aligned with the organization’s values, feeling supported and appreciated, and experiencing a sense of belonging within the workplace community. An engaged employee is likely to be more motivated, productive, and committed to the organization’s success.

Lastly, emotional engagement in the workplace has to do with the feelings and emotions that drive an individual’s connection to their work and the organization (Fadila & Salleh, 2016). It’s about the passion and enthusiasm a person

brings to their job, as well as the sense of fulfillment and satisfaction they derive from it. Emotional engagement is closely linked to both work and employee engagement, as it influences how much effort an individual is willing to invest in their work and how connected they feel to the organization. When all three aspects of engagement are present and nurtured, employees are more likely to thrive, resulting in a healthier and more supportive climate and culture.

For the purposes of this book, I focus primarily on emotional engagement. That’s because emotions are a primary driver of human behavior. This is clear in the realm of marketing, where research shows that when advertising is aimed at emotional engagement (invoking customers’ emotions) versus logical engagement (showing customers data), they are four times more likely to purchase a product (Magids, Zorfas, & Leemon, 2019).

Emotions drive human behavior. Great educators understand best practices—such as using data, teaching strategies, and behavior strategies—yet emotions have the largest impact on their practices and their degree of connection to students and colleagues. Consider a few examples: A student who has been struggling with their multiplication facts spends recesses and lunches working with you on these skills. You feel elated when the student’s test scores come back showing they mastered the skill. Or you find out your child is sick, but you can’t leave school because of the substitute shortage. For the rest of the day you’re distracted and frequently checking your phone for updates on your child’s condition. Or a student you bonded with during your early years as a teacher reaches out a decade later to invite you to their baby’s baptism. Reliving treasured memories of those early years recharges your relationship with current students. Each of these examples demonstrates how emotion drives a teacher’s response. While best practices tell you the next appropriate step to take, they cannot provide you with the heart to engage with it.

Teachers’ emotional engagement impacts the decisions they make and the quality of their presence at work. Their interactions with data or information only seem significant in light of how they feel about students’ achievement.

Because most educators join the profession to make a difference, the definition of educator engagement needs to include an overarching, intrinsic goal of finding and living within one’s purpose. Therefore, the definition of educator engagement I propose is as follows.

Educator engagement is intentionally seeking purpose and understanding our impact, living within that purpose, and creating opportunities for both ourselves and others to be happier, healthier, and more positively connected to people to best serve those around us.

Staying engaged in education is a purposeful act. It means, as teachers, we must empower ourselves to understand how our emotions drive our decisions, find and live within our purpose, develop our core beliefs that align with our purpose, and become self-aware. Staying or becoming emotionally engaged takes a great deal of intention and work. And it requires us to admit that personal empowerment is an inside job; the motivation has to come from within us. Yet, the results are well worth the effort.

Historically, disengagement in education referred to how well teachers paid attention in professional learning situations. I define the term as follows: “Educator disengagement is stronger than just not being interested in what you’re learning or teaching at the time. It’s the complete disconnection to the why behind teaching” (Froehlich, 2018a). In the past, I considered this disconnection to be more like a form of selective amnesia—an educator forgetting why they became a teacher to protect themselves from the reasons behind the disconnection. However, as I deepened my understanding of educator disengagement, I realized that definition didn’t encompass the depth of impact that disengagement can have on a teacher, and that there was a missing psychological component. Researcher Lori Ellison (2017) defines emotional disengagement from a psychology perspective:

Emotional disengagement is a pattern of response, typically to negative emotional experience, that attempts to deny, suppress, or mask those resulting negative feelings. It can be manifested in a number of behaviors, but the goal is to remove oneself from the unpleasantness of those emotions, regardless of the consequences.

If you’ve ever grappled with disengagement, that description likely resonates with you. Perhaps you’ve retreated from teaching because the emotional burden has compelled you to sever connections. You may have become so demoralized that it’s easier to not care than it is to keep getting hurt. It could be that you’re confronting challenges outside of education that demand your remaining emotional capacity, such as an impending divorce, ailing family members, or personal mental health struggles.

Incorporating this psychological component, my revised definition of educator disengagement is as follows.

Educator disengagement is the unintentional detaching of oneself from the emotional connection to the why behind education and teaching due to negative factors or circumstances that feel out of one’s control.

This results in an otherwise uncharacteristically negative view of one’s efficacy, job, and potentially one’s personal self.

This definition makes clear that the act of becoming disengaged is not a conscious choice. When I bring up the profound influence disengagement can have on a school’s climate and culture, educators often become defensive and argue they can’t be held accountable for everything. And that’s absolutely true. They can’t. I don’t view disengagement as anyone’s fault. It’s a potential consequence of working in an emotionally demanding and challenging profession. I don’t believe disengagement is intentional or a result of personal failings. People don’t set out to become disengaged, and it’s not their fault when it happens. Teachers certainly choose to leave the profession, but that’s a symptom of disengagement. People rarely leave because they want to if they feel an emotional connection to a workplace. The question I most commonly receive is, “How do we stop teacher attrition?” But I see this as the wrong question. The question should be, “How do we support teachers to stay emotionally engaged with their work?” When we ask this question, we can work with the root of the issue.

Finally, the last sentence of the definition, “This results in an otherwise uncharacteristically negative view of one’s efficacy, job, and potentially one’s personal self,” discusses the tight relationship between how we identify as educators and how we feel about ourselves as humans. If I ask educators to tell me who they are, they will most likely name their role (teacher, principal, administrator, or other professional role) in the first three identifiers. Because our job is such a key part of our identities, when we begin to feel like we are struggling to be a good educator, it can be a slippery slope to believing we are not a good human. This doesn’t happen to everyone, of course. Some people have learned to keep strong enough boundaries around their jobs to see it as separate from their humanity. For many educators, however, being a teacher is life. It’s their purpose and their legacy, and they may find it more difficult to heal their humanity after disengaging.

The Engagement Continuum

Engagement and disengagement exist on a continuum. One is neither completely disengaged nor engaged, and the level of engagement can waver depending on external factors (family matters, health) and normal progressions of a school year (testing time, breaks). For example, an educator’s engagement in September, at the beginning of a new school year, may look different than in February or March, a notoriously tough time during the school year for teachers. Engagement is more like an average; how you feel over the course of the good times and the bad. Figure 1.1 (page 12) illustrates this continuum.

LevelofEngagement

I am apathetic to what happens. I am sure change is needed. I just don’t have the energy to do it. I feel like nobody really makes a difference in education, anyway.

Source: Froehlich, 2019.

I am angry and feeling cheated out of doing my best and making a difference. I see change is needed. I am trying to influence growth but feel like I can’t.

I recognize my positive impact. I don’t always like everything I do, but overall, I really love my job. I’m emotionally engaged, driven by purpose, and personally empowered.

FIGURE 1.1: The continuum of educator engagement.

An engaged teacher understands that some periods will be difficult; overall, they remember their purpose, understand their impact, and trust the hard times will pass.

An educator somewhere in the middle is still engaged, but with negative emotional engagement (this is the psychological term). This means they still feel emotion toward their work, but that emotion might be one we would traditionally see as negative, like anger or frustration. They often feel cheated out of making a difference. They recognize that change is needed but feel ill-equipped to be the catalyst for that change for various reasons, either having to do with their individual strengths or the climate and culture of the school. Many educators, especially instructional coaches, placed themselves in the middle of the continuum during the pandemic. They may have been fully engaged prior to the transition to remote learning in 2020, but the stress of the pandemic was too much for them to remain there. Teachers were unprepared to teach in an emergency online learning environment, and instructional coaches were unprepared to support teachers remotely. This unexpected adversity caused many educators to develop negative feelings toward their work (Chang, Gaines, & Mosley, 2022).

Disengagement is characterized by complete disconnection. Some people describe this as teachers “losing their why.” I don’t think this is always accurate, though. Many teachers know their why, but they don’t know how their why fits into the current system and how it operates. This leads to apathy. It might sound like, “There’s no reason to be mad about the situation because nothing matters anyway,” or “Colleagues will do what they do, and it doesn’t impact practice,” or “Students will continue to not care and will earn the grade they get.” That is complete disengagement. Apathy presents a sense of hopelessness and loss, leaving us questioning the value of our efforts. When we believe that nothing we do makes a difference, it becomes increasingly challenging to muster the energy to continue and make a difference. Emotional engagement suggests that, ideally, we would prefer to be happy; however, feeling angry may be our second choice because it shows that we are still passionate enough to advocate for our beliefs.

Further Considerations

What other considerations affect this discussion? In this final section of the chapter, we examine the role school culture, professional relationships, student outcomes, and the role hierarchy of needs for innovation and divergent thinking plays in educator engagement.

School Culture

The climate and culture of a school building are deeply interconnected with staff engagement levels (Katsantonis, 2019). When educators are highly engaged and driven by a sense of purpose, they understand the importance of building connections and fostering a sense of efficacy. As a result, the school’s culture becomes more intertwined and connected, and the climate remains positive. Research also supports the opposite: a positive school climate and culture can directly impact staff engagement, as well as student outcomes. For instance, a study by education researchers Matthew Kraft, David Blazar, and Dylan Hogan (2018) finds that improving a school’s climate can lead to higher teacher retention and better student achievement. Another study by scholars Wayne K. Hoy, C. John Tarter, and Anita Woolfolk Hoy (2006) demonstrates that a positive school climate is associated with increased teacher commitment and overall job satisfaction.

On the other hand, if the climate and culture in a school are weak and marked by negativity, educators are more likely to trend toward the disengagement side of the continuum (McGiboney, 2016). It’s not hard to see why— when someone feels apathetic about their work, they’re less inclined to invest

in creating relationships or actively participate in the school community. This lack of involvement can further exacerbate the negative climate and culture.

Professional Relationships

Educator engagement is not only about being passionate about teaching and learning; it also involves the emotional capacity to form and maintain strong relationships with students and colleagues. Emotional intelligence is “the ability to understand one’s and others’ emotions and the capacity to control or use those emotions to manage and solve problems. . . . [A] person with worthy emotions should be able to think positively and constructively and vice versa” (Krishnan & Awang, 2020). Emotional intelligence includes self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication, and it’s a crucial skill for educators in fostering positive learning environments and creating meaningful connections with others (Krishnan & Awang, 2020).

Emotionally intelligent educators are more likely to collaborate effectively with their colleagues, which can lead to a more cohesive and supportive professional environment. Teachers’ ability to form positive relationships and engage in meaningful, reflective conversations is a critical aspect of sharing best practices, collaborating to solve problems, and continually refining their teaching approaches.

Student Outcomes

Educator disengagement may have a detrimental effect on student learning and outcomes. When teachers lack passion and motivation for their work, it often translates into a less engaging, supportive, and effective learning environment for students.

The impact of emotionally intelligent educators on student outcomes is significant. Patricia Jennings and Mark Greenberg (2009) find that teachers who demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence are better equipped to manage classroom behavior, create supportive learning environments, and establish strong connections with their students. These positive teacher-student relationships have been linked to improved academic performance, increased student engagement, and enhanced social-emotional development. Another study by Wang and colleagues (2022) shows that higher levels of teacher engagement correlate with better student achievement and more positive emotions, such as enjoyment, in the classroom.

Conversely, disengaged educators are less likely to participate in professional learning opportunities or actively collaborate with their colleagues, which can

limit their ability to grow and adapt their teaching practices and lean into professional connections and relationships. Because of this, students may not receive the high-quality instruction they need to succeed academically and develop essential social-emotional skills.

Engaged educators are more likely to create dynamic, inclusive, and supportive learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of their students. They are also more willing to invest in their professional growth and collaborate with their peers, which provides a wealth of resources they can draw from to innovate in the classroom.

Hierarchy of Needs for Innovation and Divergent Thinking

Engaged educators positively contribute to what is happening in their classrooms, but they also support many necessary levels of the educational ecosystem, like the climate and culture of a building, mindset shifts, and professional learning. This also contributes to their capacity for innovative and divergent thinking. Innovative and divergent thinking and teaching require extra intellectual and emotional capacity because they are reaching beyond our norm for extraordinary results.

When I held positions focused on supporting educators with technology in their classrooms, I began asking myself what essential elements needed to be in place for teachers to have the capacity to think outside the box. I realized that asking, “How can I make others more innovative?” was not only overwhelming but misguided. Innovation can’t be forced; it requires time, support, and freedom from constraints. In fact, any kind of compliance measures will most likely have the opposite effect. Instead of enforcing change, my role was to eliminate hurdles and cultivate an environment that equipped teachers and students with everything they needed to create a culture of innovation. I have always found frameworks and visuals particularly helpful in providing clarity, so I created a hierarchy of needs as a more concrete representation of my thoughts. Figure 1.2 (page 16) shows the hierarchy of needs educators need fulfilled before they reach those higher levels of innovation and divergent thinking.

When I first developed the hierarchy of needs for innovation and divergent thinking in Divergent EDU (Froehlich, 2018a), it was meant to be a framework to support educators in their quest for innovation and divergent teaching. It highlights the supports that need to be in place to provide educators with the capacity to think innovatively, knowing so many educators were at their limit with everything on their plates and holes in their support.

Hierarchy of Needs for Innovation and Divergent Thinking

Innovation and Divergent Thinking

Provide an open door for learners to think divergently giving them the opportunity to be creative and ideate ways to find and solve problems.

Focus on personalized professional learning. Ensure consistent carryover into classroom. Prioritize embedded support.

Focus on teacher and student efficacy.

Cultivate student empowerment and ownership. Prioritize collaborative learning.

Focus on transparency and positive relationships. Practice consistent follow through. Prioritize trust.

Nurture risk-taking. Put learners first. Ensure teacher engagement.

Source: Froehlich, 2018a.

Professional Learning Mindset

EffectiveLeadership ClimateandCulture

FIGURE 1.2: Hierarchy of needs for innovation and divergent thinking.

The pandemic proved the hierarchy’s worthiness, shining a spotlight on the ways education was failing to nurture the hierarchy’s elements: climate and culture, effective leadership, mindset, and professional learning. As a result, teachers were expected to innovate solutions to the pandemic without the capacity to do so. I believe that accounts for the significant rise in burnout and educator mental health issues during the pandemic.

As you saw earlier in this chapter, educator engagement is foundational to a positive school culture. When there are gaps in this foundational level, the higher levels of the hierarchy become unstable, negatively affecting the overall school environment. Disengaged educators are less likely to assume positive leadership roles, embrace mindset shifts, participate in professional learning opportunities, or engage in any form of divergent and innovative thinking—to name a few examples. Disengagement is marked by a lack of these essential connections. Consider the impact of disengagement on the Hierarchy of Needs

for Innovation and Divergent Thinking: when educators are disengaged, they struggle to embrace the higher levels of the hierarchy, such as being open to new ideas or taking risks in their teaching practices. This resistance can stifle innovation and hinder the school’s ability to grow and meet students’ needs.

When educators are engaged and passionate about their work, they are more likely to take on leadership roles, participate in professional development, and embrace innovative teaching methods. They contribute to a positive school climate and culture, which in turn supports the development of divergent thinking and innovation across the entire school community.

Summary

In this chapter, we explored the complex but foundational concept of educator engagement as it relates to emotional engagement and the importance of redefining engagement in a way that encapsulates a teacher’s sense of purpose and their emotional connection to their work. Educator engagement is a spectrum, and maintaining engagement is challenging but crucial for the teacher’s well-being, students’ achievement, and the broader educational ecosystem. This chapter also emphasizes the detrimental effects of disengagement and its manifestation in visible signs of frustration and negativity. Finally, it stresses the impact of engagement on innovative and divergent thinking.

In a profession that is driven by people who feel a unique moral obligation to make the world a better place, there are reasons that teachers begin to unintentionally disengage. In the next chapter, we investigate the adversities and trauma that can catalyze emotional disconnection.

Reflect on Understanding Engagement and Disengagement

In the space provided, reflect on what you’ve read in chapter 1.

1. How would you define your current level of emotional engagement in your workplace? Where would you put yourself on the continuum of educator engagement?

2. Recall a time when your emotional engagement impacted how you were performing your job functions. How did your emotional state affect your passion for your work and your ability to complete your responsibilities?

3. In what ways do you feel your workplace culture supports or hinders your emotional engagement?

4. How do you think your level of emotional engagement affects your students and colleagues?

5. How do your colleagues’ levels of emotional engagement impact you?

“The Reignited Educator is a transformative guide for educators seeking to rediscover their passion and purpose. Froehlich offers invaluable tools for creating the supportive learning environments today’s staff and students need to thrive.”

Thomas C. Murray

Best-Selling Author; Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools

“Froehlich provides sustainable solutions struggling educators need to take better care of themselves and those they serve. Readers receive practical strategies and personal reflections for staying grounded, centered, and whole. This book is for anyone dedicated to fostering educator well-being and organizational healing.”

Scott McLeod

Professor of Educational Leadership and Founding Director, CASTLE, University of Colorado Denver

“The Reignited Educator offers powerful insights that breathe new life into teaching. Its heartfelt wisdom reignites passion in educators, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to revitalize their profession!”

Robin D. Walsh

PLTW Gateway Educator, Cyril B. Busbee

Creative Arts Academy, Cayce, South Carolina; Doctoral Candidate in Educational Practice and Innovation, University of South Carolina

The EDUCATOR REIGNITED

REDISCOVERING EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND PURPOSE IN YOUR PROFESSION

How does an educator recover once they’ve lost their passion? Many teachers experience a shift in their professional lives from engagement and joy to disengagement and burnout, frequently without feeling equipped to navigate it. When author Mandy Froehlich faced this firsthand, she researched the causes of her own and her fellow educators’ disengagement. In The Reignited Educator: Rediscovering Emotional Engagement and Purpose in Your Profession, Froehlich presents her findings on educator emotional engagement and provides practical strategies for reengaging. This book offers K–12 educators the research-backed guidance they need to rediscover happiness and well-being in their purposeful work.

Readers will:

• Investigate various factors that contribute to educator burnout, disengagement, and attrition

• Consult the continuum of educator engagement

• Explore research and science that validate the importance of educator engagement

• Gain many strategies for healing professionally and pursuing the process of reengagement

• Access worksheets, checklists, and detailed instructions to help them implement the book’s strategies