Affiliate Dr Mike Downey 

Nurturing and Sustaining The Work Of Your Life

Formation is an ongoing process of intentionally developing the professional practices to nourish and sustain the calling to teach.  It’s a cruel paradox that teaching can be so heart-warming and so heartbreaking, even on good days.  Two recent encounters bear witness to this.

Recently, I purchased a new iPad.  While getting it set up at the Apple Shop, I asked for the Education discount.  A young lady sitting at the opposite side of the table quickly asked me what sort of a teacher I was.  I told her that I was retired from school, but I still did teacher professional development work, with a focus on ongoing formation.  At that moment I inadvertently became her “father confessor” and listened attentively to her story for some time.  Briefly, she loved her work with a passion, but she had come to hate her job.  This became more than she could bear psychologically and physically, so she left teaching.  I got what she was saying.  I was aware of my own physical bodily reactions.  I resonated with her story.

Within a few days I also listened to a man in his early forties also tell me of the anguish of “standing in the tragic gap” between loving his work and hating his job. He was torn.  He wants to quit but he has a family, mortgage etc and feels too exhausted to change careers. 

A couple of days later, at an education leaders dinner, I met the man’s principal.  I asked about a some of teachers I knew on his staff and included that man.  At the mention of his name, the principal became energised and told me how wonderful he was and how much his students loved him.  I kept the conversation with the teacher, confidential. 

Currently, there is a teacher shortage in Australia.  Teacher training is struggling to attract recruits.  Many trainee teachers are not entering teaching and in-service teachers are increasingly looking for the door. 

For about 50 years I have held close an aphorism of Epictetus, the 1st Century Roman philosopher.  He said, “It’s not your problem that is the problem; it’s how you are looking at your problem that is the problem”.  I continue to find Epictetus helpful.

I live on a mountain top. If I walk to the bottom of my street I see the ocean.  If II turn south, I see the mountains.  If I turn again, I see the forest.    It still comes down to how we look at our problems.  It can be overwhelming to see and feel the consequences of many problems that assault the calling to teach.  Formation provides the opportunity and space to look for life affirming perspectives. All that’s needed is the time and space to act on what we should value.

 Formation helps build resilience.  The processes are uncomplicated, non-threatening and non-invasive.   They help protect against burnout, but none of this is simple.  Ongoing formation requires intentionality and a little effort.  It requires the allocation of regular, not necessarily frequent, time and space.  It requires a shift in thinking from, “I don’t have the time” to “I have the responsibility to nourish and sustain my calling, because the consequences are awesome”. 

In the words Antoine de Saint-Exupery gave The Fox and The Little Prince, “Still some grown-ups will not understand why these things are matters of great importance”.

Newsletter updated 23.4.2024

Dear Affiliate

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Other News

On the 19th April Neil Hawkes was honoured at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford to be the keynote speaker at a round table conference devoted to discussing the need for the establishment of a peace-loving global society, through values-based universal education. The conference was initiated by Prof.Dr.Vishwanath D Karad, Founder of Pune University, who designed and built the world’s largest peace dome, who Neil is chatting with in the photo. He was so moved that Values-based Education and living is being seen as such an important key for world peace.

Please keep in touch with me and make suggestions about how we can further strengthen our IVET Foundation. Together we are making a difference, especially by encouraging others to join us.

Warmly.

Neil

Dr Neil Hawkes

Founder of the IVET Foundation and Values-based Education (VbE)

https://www.ivetfoundation.com/home

Trustees: Neil Hawkes, Bridget Knight, Nigel Cohen, Jane Hawkes and Sue Jones