And if you listen to social media, where teachers often express themselves freely and anonymously, Rachel is far from alone. ![]() In a sense, it’s a kind of philosophy of denial, where nothing is ever really going wrong, and where the power of positive thinking can be used to invalidate any criticism or concern, no matter how legitimate. Later, Rachel discovered the sort of forced cheerfulness she was experiencing from her administrator had a name: toxic positivity. “I don’t want to get up a lot of mornings, and I can’t tell you how often I wake up panicked and think, ‘Should I call out today? I don't feel mentally or emotionally prepared to go into work right now.’” “I don’t say to my coworkers, ‘I struggle with anxiety and depression,’” says Rachel, who asked to be referred to only by her first name to candidly discuss her mental health experiences. But it did nothing to quiet the upset she felt. The advice kept her employed and got her through a tough year. Along with masking her emotions, she learned to swallow her opinions too.Ĭolleagues nodded sympathetically and suggested she go along to get along. Under the thumb of a relentlessly upbeat administrator, Rachel, an educator and librarian in New Jersey, was pressed to be happy all the time. Challenge your thinking.Several years ago, during her first year teaching at a new school, Rachel cried a lot. I encourage you to watch (or re-watch) Rita Pierson’s TED Talk and talk to someone about it.
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