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April 14 - April 16, 2025
Across the country, there is a sense of hopelessness around the ability to change this culture of chaos, and schools may struggle to find teachers for years to come. We must shift the narrative. Teaching can and should be a joyful profession where practitioners feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in their work. As a team of eternal optimists with deep experience and endless admiration for teachers, we aim to empower new and aspiring educators—or those with years of experience whose hope has waned—with a framework that enables them to regain control of their mindset and their practice
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Teacher collective efficacy is the belief held by teachers that they can make an impact on student performance (Goddard et al., 2020).
Teachers are more likely to experience high self-efficacy when they routinely practice self-regulation strategies—such as seeking help or support, setting goals, orienting their work toward mastery, or engaging in personal learning (Zee &Koomen, 2016).
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Teaching is a profession that is often attractive to those who value helping or serving others, so it is important for teachers to recognize the ways in which a benevolent personality-type can be more susceptible to discouragement, stress, or even being taken advantage of. Just as research suggests that teaching is one of the most rewarding professions in the world (Intuit, 2022), other studies—even many prior the COVID-19 pandemic—highlight that teaching is one of the most stressful occupations, with comparisons to emergency room doctors, among others (Greenberg et al., 2017).
If a teacher doesn’t believe they should sacrifice their personal wellbeing for the benefit of their students, they may be susceptible to feelings of guilt resulting from societal pressures and perceptions around teaching as a “calling.”
Negativity is contagious and can spread like wildfire. A “Negative Nellie/Ned” is a person with a toxic attitude that is negatively influencing other colleagues. Negative Nellies/Neds can be high performers, but their bad attitudes can influence and damage the culture and productivity of the rest of the team.
Gallup uses the term “actively disengaged” to describe Negative Nellies/Neds, or NNs, in their research. In 2018, Gallup research found that globally, there is almost a 1:1 ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees within an organization. In short, the problem of NNs is very real and should be dealt with right away. Otherwise, the effect will be devastating to a team. (Ray, 2023)
In Chapter 5, we discussed the habit of using procedures and routines within the school and classroom, which can also be used to navigate the challenges of working with Negative Nellies/Neds. Procedures and routines have a positive impact on students’ social and emotional wellbeing (Evenson, 2021).
Negative Nellies/Neds most often will park themselves in the teachers’ lounge or gathering space and dive right into the carnival of complaints conversation. It is essential that teachers hold each other accountable and do not contribute to this tactic nor enable this behavior. Finding ways to either change the topic or confidently address the back channeling or gossip helps create a safe and welcoming culture for all staff and students.
Navigating Negative Nellie/Ned Parents and Caregivers
Among other areas (e.g., creativity, courage, or mindfulness), positive psychology is the compilation of four major mindsets: hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Together they comprise the acronym H.E.R.O.
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Every student needs a passionate and equipped teacher. Technology has become a terrific resource to support academic growth and achievement. However, as Chase Nordengren states, “No amount of technological innovation or structural change will eliminate the need for learning directed by caring, knowledgeable adults” (Nordengren, 2022, p. 117). In a contemporary teaching environment filled with stresses, teaching has become even more overwhelming and challenging.
