Build Your Star System of Support S.2 Ep.20
Listen to this episode to learn why you need a star system of support and how teachers are better when they work together.
Show Notes:
Good bye dream team- hello star system! In this episode we’re going to describe why the superstar teacher is a myth. You can be a superstar, you just can’t be one alone. Teaching today is tough and we need more than a dream team. What we need is an entire constellation because together, we can all shine more brightly.
You’ve probably heard of or used the phrase “dream team” or better yet, you actually work with a dream team! We all need a system of support in our lives. Today, we are going to expand our idea of support. But first, let’s talk about the superstar teacher. Maybe you are one, or you know one, or you wish you were one.
The solo, inspirational, hero, teacher is a myth.
American Society teaches us that it is our individual efforts that help us to thrive. We love a good hero story. We revere story of the struggling person who pulls him or herself up by their bootstraps and achieves great things. We covet being the best- the top of the class, the fastest on the team, and honor the individual pursuit of excellence.
In school, we are judged and graded on our individual work. Yet in life, our success is often interconnected with that of others.
We’ve seen the myth of the individual hero in teaching. Our favorite teacher movies honor the solo teacher who works hard and through their personal efforts, often a great sacrifice to their personal life, changes a student, a class, or an entire school. The stories are inspiring, but often, not realistic.
These teacher movies focus on the lone teacher and things they do to inspire their students and bring about change.
What you don’t see is all the other people behind the scenes, sharing the load and helping that teacher. Let’s face it, it might not make for a good movie, but it is the way things work in the real world.
There are huge benefits in working together.
In his book Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises our Achievement, Happiness and Well-being Shawn Achor busts the myth that we achieve our best through our solo work as we work hard and strive for success.
Achor’s research suggests that we need to stop trying to do everything alone.
Here are some key findings:
- Working together allows us to find more energy, share resources, and lessen our stress. Those are three HUGE problems teachers today face.
- We are also smarter together. We are stronger and more creative. We are also more resilient.
- Strong teamwork is even connected to measurable better health.
- When we work together, we not only raise the performance of the group, but we also increase our own potential.
Strong teamwork leads to better success and more personal happiness.
Teachers need the benefits of working together.
Teachers today are desperate to reduce stress and increase resilience. Resilience grows when you have a strong support system of people who believe in you. Another reason is that teachers need more time and energy and a better balance in home and work lives. We can accomplish more if we work together and share the work.
Being surrounded by people who will lift you up is a game changer. The more people we have to share stress and offer solutions, the lighter our personal load will be.
“The more you help people find their light, “Achor says, “ the brighter you both will shine” (p.18).
Achor also says, “We all have the power to make others better. And when we commit to using that power, there is no limit to what we can accomplish” (p. 54).
You may have heard or used the phrase “dream team.” Achor calls this system of support a “star system.”
Achor’s research consistently shows one strong conclusion:
“You can be a superstar; you just can’t be one alone. What you need is a star system, a constellation of positive, authentic influencers who support each other, reinforce each other, and make each other better.” (p.68).
In work and life, Achor shares, the way to win is to create a star system, a group of people whose members “assist each other, carry each other on their shoulders, and make each other better” (p.68).
How can you build a star system of support?
Recognize the talents and gifts of yourself and your colleagues.
We each have talents and gifts. It is easy to take our own talents for granted. We think, if I can do something easily, everyone must be able to do it easily. In reality, others struggle with things that come naturally to you. Likewise, others do naturally what you struggle to do.
Recognize what it is that you do well. Do you relate well to students? Do you have a great sense of humor and use it effectively in your classroom? Are you very organized? Do you connect well with parents? Do you use technology successfully?
How can you help a colleague by using your strengths? Look for appropriate times to share your special knowledge or skill with others.
Do you know the strengths and gifts of others at your school?
Respect the various strengths that each person brings to the group. If someone likes to keep the conversation focused, assign them the role of group facilitator. If another person has a strength with organization, allow them to prepare the materials for the meeting and handle follow-up contacts.
Take time to learn the strengths each person brings to your school. Then, embrace and build upon those strengths.
You can also create a star system by finding shared dreams and vision.
It is easy to see the ways we are all different. If we focus only on our differences, it is difficult to build community.
Look beyond the differences with your colleagues. There are human attributes you share. Perhaps you are all working to help a particular student achieve. Perhaps you share the vision of how to transform your school. Perhaps you are united in the face of a district challenge.
When we look past our differences and into our shared dreams and vision, we can use that synergy to help us create better classrooms and schools.
Imagine what the world would be like if we saw everyone, no matter their age, gender, ethnicity, ability, religion or political beliefs, as a co-creator of a shared dream. The world would be a better place.
Brene Brown says, “It’s hard to hate people close up.”
Finally, you can create a star system by being intentional about and not feeling guilty about sharing the work.
Just like you can’t look at one person and say “that’s a dream team”, you can’t look up in the sky and see one star that makes up an entire constellation. It is a group effort. Even if one person has to shine a little brighter at one time or another, each person is still a part of something bigger, it has to be a group effort.
Recently a team member on the women’s Belgian track team was injured. The team risked getting disqualified from an important meet. A shot putter agreed to take one for the team and ran the hurdles. She was not a hurdler, and actually stepped over the hurdles rather than jumping over them. Her efforts, even though she came in last, kept the team from being disqualified and actually gave them two points towards the final score.
When we share our talents, find a shared dream or vision, and share in building greatness in our school, we are using our community to help us thrive.
How can you create your own personal star system of support?
We all need different types of support. find people who can support you in the following ways:
Someone who cheers you on
Someone who you can confide in
Someone who can mentor you
Someone who motivates you
Someone who stretches you
Someone who brings fun
Someone who believes in your dreams
Someone who loves you unconditionally
Know that in true reciprocity, you are also likely performing these same roles for others in your life.
Your system of support is important, now more than ever.
We end this podcast with a comment sent to us by a teacher. We included it in our book, The Inspired Teacher’s Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. Our book is full of quotes and advice from teachers. Here’s a shout out to Dani Way-Lawler, a high school special education teachers for her quote:
“Find your Teacher People and love them hard. Teaching is hard and wonderful all at the same time. No one can do it alone. Find those people who will cry with you, let you vent, laugh with you, help turn crazy ideas into reality, support you, build you up and celebrate victories with you. Hold them tight. They are the ones who will tell you that you can do it, even when you don’t think you can.”
You can be a superstar, you just can’t be one alone. Find your people and together you can create a star system of support.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well Being by Shawn Achor
Quote:
“You can be a superstar; you just can’t be one alone. What you need is a star system, a constellation of positive, authentic influencers who support each other, reinforce each other, and make each other better.”
Shawn Achor
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