Can Teaching Remain Joyful? Celebrating 100 Episodes with Bertha Delgadillo and Meredith White!

I can’t believe it—we’ve hit 100 episodes of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, and over 85,000 downloads! In our special 100th episode, we’re not discussing specific strategies or the latest research. Instead, we’re tackling a big question we all ponder: How can we keep being joyful in our teaching career?

I invited Bertha Delgadillo and Meredith White to this conversation because they are incredibly active in the language education community. And even though they have acknowledged how difficult this career can be, they have managed to stay engaged and joyful. If they can do it, how can we?

This is what we discuss in episode 100. After countless off-mic conversations with Meredith and Bertha, we’ve identified three pillars that have kept us engaged and passionate in our teaching careers: Community, Learning and Growth Mindset, and Boundaries. In this post, I’ll highlight these pillars, but to hear our whole discussion, listen above or here. 

Community

We started our conversation off by talking about community. We can try to do it all on our own. I did it for many, many years. But it was tough. Bertha credits her training teacher for inspiring her teaching approach by modeling continuous learning and advocating for professional development. In her previous teacher interviews, she even asks the question to the principals, “How supportive are you of professional development for teachers?”

Even if you don’t feel supported at school, you can still be supported through online communities. Building online communities helps language teachers connect, and share ideas. When we are part of a community, we can troubleshoot our problems better. And, we can find our way back to being joyful. 

It can also be helpful when people share activities, feelings, or reflections on what not to do, rather than just highlighting what’s going well. It’s important when you can find relatable and honest individuals in the community who share challenges and what didn’t work. Meredith shared that she appreciates vulnerability in others, finding it inspiring and comforting.

Meredith also emphasized that it’s our choice. We need to choose to build communities, keep learning, and set boundaries. It might feel like one more thing, but it’s the one thing that will make our Sunday evenings and that tough 4th period manageable.

When it comes to community, Bertha also advises teachers to be mindful of negative energy and people in their lives, and to prioritize their own well-being. Listen to episode 100 to hear her share her experience of recognizing when she needs to walk away from a conversation that’s making her feel crappy. We should all have friends that lift us up professionally and personally

Learning and Growth Mindset

Next, I asked Bertha and Meredith to share their experiences with growth mindset, learning, and joy in teaching. Bertha started by telling us about her new, exciting journey on attaining her PhD. Then, she shared her thoughts on growing as a teacher through conferences, blogs, and National Board Certification. In episode 100, you’ll also hear her talk more about her resilience and faith. 

Meredith advocated the importance of making time for professional development. She also discussed the need for quality time with colleagues. Even something informal can be very beneficial when working through challenges or just bonding with other teachers.

Again, Meredith emphasized the importance of making choices in life, such as choosing the people around you, professional development, and creating a positive mindset. Choose to engage in activities and pursue goals, rather than passively allowing them to happen. Meredith also encourages listeners to be mindful of their choices and create a home mindset that is positive and uplifting, rather than toxic positivity. Listen here. 

There’s empowerment that comes from knowledge and clarity in making decisions, leading to increased teacher satisfaction and joy in teaching. Control what you can, such as deciding on feedback and learning activities that bring joy. We also all agreed that we find joy in learning and applying new skills to stay excited about teaching.

Boundaries

We easily can give 100% of ourselves to the profession, but the reality is that the profession won’t give 100% back. No profession does. That’s why setting boundaries is crucial. Boundaries help teachers feel more confident and in control, and are essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. They’re also linked to confidence.

Meredith explained how boundaries are also a choice. Teachers should be mindful of boundaries in personal and professional relationships. It can be a challenge to maintain a cheerful demeanor at work, particularly when facing difficult situations or emotions. However, boundaries are essential for protecting one’s mental and emotional well-being, and can involve setting limits on what is shared with others. We also talked about how the pandemic blurred the lines between work and personal life, making it necessary to establish clear boundaries and prioritize self-care.

In our discussion, Bertha shared her personal struggle with workaholism and finding balance, emphasizing the importance of self-care and setting boundaries. She has now found therapy to be a game-changer, but balancing work and self-care still remain challenging. We also discussed the importance of setting boundaries in teaching to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

When we join supportive communities, choose to keep learning, and set strong boundaries, feeling joyful, engaged, and excited about our careers is more attainable. 

It doesn’t mean we won’t shed a tear or two, but we’ll have the certainty that in the end, the good will outweigh the bad or the hard.  As Meredith said, it’s our choice. 

Listen to our whole discussion here.