What's JOY Got to Do With It?

The metaphorical “buzz” around any new school year is also quite literally an audible one. You hear it as you pass store aisles full of parents attempting to articulate the difference in need and want as children pile school supplies into the cart. You hear it as returning teachers greet each other on the first day back at work. You hear it as classrooms come alive and prep for “Meet the Teacher” night. You hear it division-wide trainings and at the first staff meetings of the school year as educators wish each other well; “Hope you have a great school year this year!” The metaphorical buzz of a new school year also lives metaphorically in each teacher and each student as they long for this to be the best school year yet. The buzz of a new school year is actually the sound of hope rising up in educators, school staff, students and parents alike, as each new school year dawns.

We use the word hope a lot in day-to-day vocabulary. “I hope you are doing well.” “I hope I can get my to-list done.” “I hope my flight isn’t delayed.” “I hope you have a great time.” So what does hope really mean? According to hope expert and Director of the Hope research center, Dr. Chan Hellman, hope is “a belief that the future will be better than the present. It’s much more than wishful thinking. Hope is confidence in a better tomorrow and the mindset that each individual plays an integral role in making that future possible” (https://hoperisingsel.com/the-science-of-hope/).

There is little doubt that education as a whole has been stressful and in some ways, traumatic over the past few years thanks to COVID. In some cases, the stressors may be gone, but the stress and trauma remains. For students, this may manifest in academic struggles, outward behavior struggles or inward feelings of disconnectedness. For educators, this may have resulted in feelings of burnout, feeling overwhelmed or feelings of frustration. No matter what stressors the past has delivered, or even those the future may have in store, hope is the answer. And not just in the metaphorical “hope things get better” kind of way. It is more than wishing for change or even bouncing back after a stressful time. The science of hope tells us that hope is the “best determinant of overall well-being. Hope can be learned, and people generate more hope as they achieve success” (from G. Graham's The Science of Hope). Hope is a buffer against adversity and can protect us during stressful times. For our students, hope boosts academic performance. For adults, hope improves our work outlook and work performance. Hope is REAL and hope is POWERFUL.

So how do we foster hope as more than just the illusive wish for a better tomorrow ? How do we harness hope and use it as a “catalyst for positive action?" Parentslead.org, in conjunction with Dr. Hellman share 3 key ingredients for finding and fostering hope in “The Basics of Hope.”

As you think about your own hopes for this school year, set measurable goals, seek out the multiple pathways by which you might meet those goals and believe that you have what it takes to meet those goals. Align yourself with colleagues and friends who will push you to follow through and who will provide supports to lift you up when your journey is difficult and who will urge you to fly when you’re happy with coasting.

Introducing The Ingredients of Hope to Students

For our students, think about how to introduce the three basic ingredients of hope into their journey. Help them set measurable goals for themselves, academically, socially and emotionally. Help connect them to resources and envision the various pathways for achieving their goals. And most importantly, BE their support as they journey (the ups and the downs) towards achieving their goals. The book, Making Hope Happen, outlines several strategies for practicing hope. One of those strategies is known as Futurecasting. Try this with students to help foster hope.

As you help students set goals, help them:

1. Visit the Future

2. Share the Future

3. Test Drive the Future

(click on each slide below to learn more)

“Hope derives from a person’s goals, the agency or motivation to pursue those goals, and the ability to create pathways to get there” (Cathleen Beachboard, 2022). A 2017 study revealed that hope serves a measurable protective role in our cognitive processes. Researchers discovered that as hope goes up in the brain, the neural activity associated with anxiety goes down. Increasing hope is a critical element to decreasing anxiety and, with it, burnout and stress. “Rising hope levels also, according to research, increase the chance of goal attainment, further supporting employee identity and improving life satisfaction and positive life outcomes. A person’s motivation ties directly into the support and value they feel around their identity” (Cathleen Beachboard, 2022). If a person feels needed, respected, and valued, their efficacy, agency and effectiveness are increased.

As leaders and colleagues, we can work to increase 2 key values that will help fellow educators feel needed, respected and valued, and thus hopeful that they can and do make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Share your great work and where you're planting, spreading and experiencing hope and joy in VBCPS using the #VBHasJoy and #VBSEL hashtags on Twitter!

If you would like ideas and videos on supporting SEL in the classroom, please visit the SEL in Action page in the VBCPS SEL Stockpile.

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines Optimism as the quality of being full of hope and emphasizing the good parts of a situation, or a belief that something good will happen. Action for Kindness names October as the month of optimism. This month's calendar is full of various prompts to help shape hope through goals, agency and pathways in a variety of personal and professional ways.

Click here to learn more and download the calendar.

For more information, contact the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation of Virginia Beach City Public Schools at pgi@vbschools.com or 757.263.6972.