The Transformational Power of Community

Education is a calling. To persevere requires courage, tenacity, and a strong conviction that one can make a difference in the world. While organizational structures frequently shift and change around them, devoted educators provide the unwavering foundation for nurturing and inspiring the inherent human potential of the many students, families, and communities they serve.

As an educator for over 45 years, I have witnessed teachers, principals, and district administrators work to create the conditions for thriving learning environments —although I have rarely seen this good work sustained without the support of a community willing to hold difficult questions, explore different paradigms, and listen well to one another.

It has been my great pleasure for the past few years to work with the small, but mighty education team at the Greater Good Science Center to design and facilitate a series of monthly communities of practice dedicated to lifting up teacher voices and building an educational community dedicated to fostering well-being, connection, and other pro-social values in schools and classrooms around the world.

In this Greater Good Educators community, a new science backed well-being topic is introduced each month (via a digital resource hub) and participants engage in weekly facilitated experiences (via Zoom) to embody compassionate ways of being, make connections, solve problems of practice, and share ideas and resources.

The experience has rekindled my hope for what is possible when we care deeply about our students and one another. It is slow, persistent work that requires vulnerability, listening well, and trust in the inherent goodness of others. It has renewed my belief that we can create what we dream—as long as we work together toward the greater good.

This past fall, as we explored the science and practice of purpose, empathy, and gratitude, I was touched deeply by the authentic sharing, the willingness to listen mindfully, try new practices, witness the pain and suffering of life, and celebrate one another’s joys and successes. Throughout, participants identified three ways that being in this community provided them with the courage and resources to expand and magnify their good work:

When we are understood, recognized, and affirmed by others, we feel we belong to a community. Researchers recognize this sense of belonging as an essential aspect of our well-being and central to a meaningful life. As we engaged in a collective exploration and dialogue around well-being themes and practices in the community of practice, participants reported a deepened understanding of content and a strengthening of group bonds.

This sense of belonging was frequently expressed as feeling welcomed, heard, included, or accepted. As noted by a participant, “I just appreciate the community, and the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with other people who deeply care about education.”

Feeling heard and experiencing agency is key to giving purpose and meaning to our life and work. When our thoughts and feelings are shared without fear of judgment, and we believe we can make a difference, we are more likely to take positive action.

As indicated by another participant, “Feedback from colleagues was confirming that the work I am doing is valuable and can serve as a model to others.” Being in a learning community where reflection and mindful listening are practiced allows educators to engage authentically, supporting their efforts to act courageously on their values to benefit students and whole school communities.

Our brains are wired to connect. Scientific evidence strongly suggests that reaching out and interacting with others is a core psychological need. Feeling supported by others can even make us more resilient by lowering levels of cortisol, activating regions of the brain that bring us a sense of safety, and helping us handle stress. Recent research reveals that the personal benefits of belonging to a group with shared interests include not only feeling good, but also making people feel capable and in control of their lives and work.

As one participant reflected, “I think of these [meetings] as therapy for people who care a little too much about their work. The most useful thing to me is the kind of deep dive conversation, not for answers, but to explore some of the basic aspects of being human with students. I feel more unsure about best practice at 40 years of teaching than I did at 20 because I know a lot more to worry about, and I am quite grateful to be able to talk with folks about these things and to learn new ways of thinking about them.”

Since educators spend most of their days supporting the social and emotional lives of their students, with little time for themselves, participating in an ongoing community of practice provides a healing and inspiring space for social connection and support.

Being a teacher is hard work, and there is no denying that much of the burnout, demoralization, and attrition is a systemic problem, rather than an individual one. However, nurturing our collective efficacy in a facilitated community of practice may offer us a way forward together.