"In My Opinion . . ."
October 7, 2000
Maintaining a positive attitude requires hard work and vigilence. Complaining and whining seem to come more naturally. Like fruit flies around applesauce, bitchiness breeds spontaneously. Counteraction requires drastic housecleaning.
My teaching partner and I spent hours this summer analyzing our professional lives, and we realized that the only way we could reduce stress and increase our productivity was to avoid the paranoia and negative attitudes often expressed by other staff members. This is harder than it sounds. Social abstinance (staying inside your classroom for seven hours, including lunch) may keep you safe from snippiness, but working in a vacuum is a surefire way to foster the very paranoia you are trying to avoid. Effective schools require collegiality.
We placed our need for good emotional and mental health as our top priority. We knew the students would benefit, we were sure our personal lives would benefit, but we weren't sure how it would alter our relationships with other staff members. It has been a mixed bag. We have lost contact with a couple of teachers because we can't afford to be sucked into their bitch sessions. Sadly, these are people with outstanding talents. They are gifted thinkers, but they exude bitterness.
Overall, our continuous renewal of our commitment to a positive attitude towards our work has paid off. We are keeping up with a weekly schedule of curriculum planning meetings, and since we waste no time gossiping or grousing about others, we are able to finish promptly. Staying on top of our work and ahead in our planning frees up our personal time, making us much happier campers. It may be cloyingly Pollyanic, but I really like this positive gig.