It’s time to forgive.

It’s time to forgive.?

We know there have been things in the past that haven’t been supportive, well thought out or even planned for that have impacted staff and teacher wellbeing. We know that decisions have been made, changes have happened, and things were said that shouldn’t have been. We know some systems are outdated, and no longer work and old ways are clashing with the new.

It can be hard, and challenging, and cause emotions to intensify as we discuss and reflect on these things. It can be hard to let go, release emotions, and feel calm in this space when there are so many impacting and contributing factors that still exist. However, in order to move forward, we need to openly forgive.?

We need to forgive our leaders, each other and ourselves.

We need to forgive the decisions that were made.

We need to forgive things that were or weren’t done.

We need to forgive change.

In a time before staff and teacher wellbeing was a hot topic, we didn’t know the impact of decisions being made, changes taking place, or what adding more to the plate of teachers would cause. No one questioned the significant impact that was likely to occur, no one considered the wellbeing of teachers. Now, however, many are.?

Not that long ago making decisions and improving schools as workplaces in order to benefit staff and teacher wellbeing wasn’t on any agenda or school improvement plan. Now, it’s everywhere. We could debate that perhaps there should have been more thinking in this space and that it should have happened sooner, but it doesn’t matter, because it didn’t. We are here now, and in order to move forward we can’t continue to blame what has or hasn’t happened.

Instead, we know and can agree that things need to be different. Together we can and must do what’s needed to allow leaders, teachers, and those who make decisions and drive change to have teacher wellbeing at the forefront.

I speak with many teachers and am on a number of different social media groups where this topic is discussed a lot. Be it spoken or written, there is a sense that leaders, the system, and others don’t care. There is mention that it’s too late. At times I notice comments around blame; ‘If our leaders care they wouldn’t have done xyz’ or waiting ‘When the system changes so will I’. These ways of thinking and behaving aren’t helpful to moving forward, and in regards to individual wellbeing, it isn’t a very nice place to be in either (I know, I have been here). Instead, we need to look at solutions, and options, and take responsibility for what we can change, individually and collectively.

(The diagram below demonstrates behaviours and actions which support staff culture and wellbeing)

In spite of knowing we need to actively move and be above the line, in a place that supports wellbeing, what I am not saying is that we need to forget, or even be OK with some of the things that have happened, but we do need to forgive. Once we do this, we can begin to let go, come together and be more open, vulnerable and brave allowing us to work together to change.

In order for all of us to be able to solve the problem that is teacher and staff wellbeing, we need forgiveness. We need teachers to forgive leaders and leaders to forgive teachers, we all need to forgive the system, we need to forgive our colleagues, and we need to forgive ourselves. To be honest, I don’t see how as a team, school, or collective we can create change or better culture if we aren’t able to forgive and come together with compassion, kindness, and openness. The more we sit in a place of blame, denial, frustration, negativity, or waiting, the harder it is to change.

In their article,The Art Of Forgiveness: A Key To High Performance Leadership, Vered Kogan states:

‘To clarify, forgiveness is not about condoning other people’s hurtful behavior. It is about developing compassion and accepting others for being imperfect, while at the same time honoring our boundaries and protecting ourselves. It's about knowing that blaming others will never solve the problem or lead to inner peace’.

(I highly recommend taking a look at this article here).

Right now, everyone is trying to figure out what staff wellbeing is. Leaders have been tasked with solving it, but where, how, and when? No one person, group, team, or leader is intentionally making decisions to negatively impact staff and teacher wellbeing, instead, we are all trying to figure it out and know what to do. But we don’t all know what to do, we don’t know the answers, and some don’t even know where, when or how to start. What I do know, however, is that we need to help each other. We need to forgive, be kind, compassionate and understanding of one another, and support change as we all try and figure this out together.

From here, only once this has occurred, can we look to create real, embedded, ongoing, cultural change to enhance and elevate staff and teacher wellbeing.

Amy Green

The Wellness Strategy