What Happens When We Listen to Teachers’ Stories
Teachers are great people who care about students and want them to succeed. They are often misunderstood because they are not always portrayed as positive characters. Teachers should tell their story and let others know how much they love their job.
Stories help us to understand eachother. From a psychological perspective the parts of the brain used in story comprehension overlap with the parts used in theory of mind. Listening to one person’s story can enhance your empathy, give you a greater sense of purpose, and inspire compassionate action.
Teachers of Oakland zooms in on the vibrant personal stories of teachers in ways that humanize them and inspire community support. Highlighting multiple teachers’ stories each week on social media, the organization encourages community members to share their appreciation for these teachers through a RaiseYourHand campaign.
Om Chitale founded Teachers of Oakland in order to create more compassion, justice, and support for educators. He wants to help them be better human beings.
Stories enhance empathy
Stories teach us about the world while infusing us with emotions. They serve as the main cohering force among us, with the ability to change our attitudes and belief systems.
Narratives help people understand others better. When you read about someone else’s experience, you feel empathy towards them. You want to learn more about what happened to them.
A teacher who teaches students how to love each other and respect others is a great role model. He/she should inspire students to become better people.
Character driven stories cause oxytocin production. Empathy is enhanced when reading or watching character driven stories.
Stories give us purpose
Stories connect us, but we need to remember that they may also give us an even greater sense of purpose at work. We should use stories to help motivate others as well as ourselves. People are generally more motivated by the transcendent purpose of their jobs than the transactional purpose.
Why do teachers want to teach? Because they want to help others. They want to make a difference in people’s lives. They want to be part of a community.
Public schools provide a common ground and space where everyone learns together. Teachers of Oakland share what invigorates them as educators.
Om Chitale is a teacher who focuses on supporting teachers. He wants to help them be healthier and more successful. He also wants to make sure they’re doing their job well.
Teachers who hear each others’ stories are more likely to be energized and motivated to teach.
Stories inspire action
Stories make us feel good about ourselves, and we want to share those feelings with others. We’re more likely to be kind and generous when we hear a story that makes us feel good.
Thank You Teacher! I appreciate your help and support. I am grateful for your guidance and kindness. I hope you know how much I value what you do for me. I wish you continued success and happiness.
People who write letters of gratitude report feeling better than those who didn’t write any. So far, the program hasn’t been tested on teachers, but if it works as well on them as it does on students, then we’re going to see some amazing results.
Kindness spreads across the community. Businesses offer free services to teachers. Massage therapists offer free massages to teachers. Readers decide to invite a teacher to coffee and conversation.
Chitale wants to help teachers learn how to collaborate. He feels like he’s been invited to someone else’s story. Now he feels connected to them. Let’s build together!
