Welcome to The Flourishing Teacher’s Field Guide. It’s time to give yourself 5 minutes with our feel-good guide to looking after yourself and your school community.

We believe that teachers achieve extraordinary things, and we deserve to be valued, supported and celebrated.

That’s what this newsletter is all about.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, why not join the Marigold community? You’ll get weekly strategies for sustaining your wellbeing, avoiding burnout and flourishing as a person, not just a teacher.

And best of all..?

It’s free and always will be.

You can find out more about what to expect in this weekly newsletter here, or just go straight to our sign-up form.

This week, we’re thinking about toxic positivity. What it is, what damage it does and how to avoid falling into the toxic trap!

Let’s go…

Toxic Positivity Can Break Your Head And Your Heart

Does this sound familiar?

You’re flying through your teaching day and doing it brilliantly. Lessons going to plan, lives being changed, learning happening, energy dialled up to 11.

The outside world sees a highly capable, professional, successful teacher who’s smashing it.

Because that’s what you do.

But inside, you’re feeling drained, anxious, insecure, exhausted.

That’s kind of how I felt for a long time.

Like I was at maximum capacity but still wasn’t good enough.

Even worse, some of my colleagues were doing more than me. Marking into the small hours of the night, working all weekend, smashing out amazing resources.

My school had developed a culture of relentless work, believing that the more you did, the better teacher you were.

It made me feel like a failure when I should have been proud of what I was achieving.

Those colleagues said things like…

Comments like that aren’t advice.

They’re insults. And they’re dangerous.

When I realised that, I quickly learned to value what I did in the classroom and to judge it by the progress my students made, not by how late into the night I worked.

I was surrounded by toxic positivity. And it was time to get out.

Here’s how I did it…

How To Beat Toxic Positivity And Build A Culture Of Care

So, what exactly is toxic positivity?

This pervasive culture of positivity can harm teachers and students alike, as it can suppress genuine feelings, increase stress and isolate staff.

It’s rooted in the words we use to talk about ourselves and others and the illusions we like to generate that define ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ in the working environment.

How many times have you heard colleagues use phrases like…

The problem is that although they seem encouraging and supportive, phrases like this often do more harm than good.

They’re a shortcut response with no real empathy or strategy behind them.

They tend to make people feel worse.

Like they’re failing and not strong enough to cope compared to their colleagues.

Negative Impacts Of Toxic Positivity On Teacher Wellbeing

This negatively impacts us as teachers and educators, especially when we’re already under significant physical, intellectual and emotional pressure.

It can lead to…

1. Emotional Suppression: Toxic positivity discourages teachers from expressing their genuine emotions, leading to emotional suppression and a disconnect from our authentic selves. This can contribute to increased stress, emotional anxiety, and burnout.

2. Invalidation of Struggles: Toxic positivity invalidates the challenges and struggles teachers face, minimising their experiences and isolating us. This can erode morale, diminish self-esteem, and hinder us from seeking support.

3. Unrealistic Expectations: Toxic positivity sets unrealistic expectations for teachers, suggesting we should always be positive and resilient, regardless of the circumstances. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and guilt when unable to maintain a constant positive demeanour.

4. Lack of Open Communication: Toxic positivity can hinder open communication and collaboration among teachers, as we may feel uncomfortable sharing our struggles or concerns in a culture that discourages negativity. This can impede problem-solving and collective support.

Very Well Mind is a wonderful organisation that produces accessible and engaging materials supporting wellbeing and mental health. Their take on the harmful effects of toxic positivity is incredibly valuable.

Here’s the link to the full article on toxic positivity, but the graphic below sums up some of the harmful effects we can all struggle with.

Overcoming A Culture Of Toxic Positivity

We’ve all experienced toxic positivity, whether intentional or not. You might even have used those kinds of phrases in the past, even if you were trying to be supportive.

So, it’s crucial for all of us to learn how to build happier and more intentionally positive school communities.

Communities in which you feel valued and positive and where you can support your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues with a sense of purpose.

You don’t have to be a school leader either. Your impact, presence and relationships are more than enough to start a positive revolution!

Here are six strategies for building a positive culture for yourself and your school community…

1. Acknowledge and Validate Emotions: Encourage open discussion and validation of all emotions, including negative ones. Create a safe space for yourself and other teachers to express their feelings without fear of judgment.

2. Normalise Challenges: Recognise that challenges are a normal part of the teaching profession and that it's okay to experience setbacks. Emphasise the importance of seeking support and collaboration when facing difficulties. Not every day needs to be a good day, but we can make each day as good as possible with empathy and understanding.

3. Focus on Authenticity: Try to be as authentic and true to yourself as you can, and encourage your colleagues to do the same. This takes some trust, but might include sharing emotional experiences and struggles and celebrating individuality and diversity of perspectives.

4. Be a Positive Role Model: You can set an awesome example through the way you model good practices for wellbeing and setting healthy boundaries. You don’t have to buy into a culture that celebrates overwork as a badge of honour. You can celebrate balance, honesty and integrity instead.

5. Open Communication and Collaboration: Foster a culture of open communication and collaboration among your fellow teachers, where they feel comfortable sharing concerns and seeking support from colleagues. The chances are you’ll be the change that someone else is looking for but is too scared to initiate.

6. Seek Professional Support: Encourage teachers to seek professional help when needed, without stigma or fear of repercussions. Normalise seeking support as a sign of strength and resilience, rather than something that indicates weakness or a lack of capability.

Stop Press: Don’t Miss The Podcast Launch

Sunday 3 December is a big day for us Marigolds! It’s the launch of our brand-new podcast.

That’s right, Rebecca and David in the virtual flesh, chatting about teaching, wellbeing and positivity in education.

We’re looking forward to sharing it all with you and growing the Marigold community, and we’d love for you to join us and spread the word.

Here’s a very relevant sneak peek of the kind of content we’ll be sharing…

We’ll share the link to episode #1 next week.

And remember if you want us to cover anything in particular in future episodes, or you’d like to come on and chat, you can contact us here.

We’re Incredibly Proud Of You

Alright, we’re done for today.

Thanks for reading, for supporting us, and for being a teacher.

We might not know you in person, but we know the value you bring to your school community, the sacrifices you make for your students and the expertise and energy that makes you so awesome.

And if no one else says it, we’re so proud of you. Don’t give up.

A reminder… you don’t have to accept toxic positivity from others. You’re allowed to do things your way and overcome toxic positivity by:

Next week’s issue is all about teacher resilience. How to build it, keep it and flourish from it!

Until then, remember, you’re more than your marking, your lesson observations and your planning.

You’re you. And that’s all you need to be.