A Call to Hope!

By Rebecca Kingston

1 September 2022

There is no denying that the times we live in seem chaotic, messy, confusing, and stressful. Recently during a workshop that we ran in the Waikato, Kaiako shared statements with us like;

‘What’s the point?’

‘Nothing ever changes!’

‘People need more than I can give.’

‘It would be nice to actually teach one day, rather than everything else that is dumped upon us.’

‘Whānau face more and more challenges and we do our best to respond but it stretches us.’

‘Who cares about the teacher’s well-being at the end of the day?’

‘The expectations are too much!’

‘The future feels so uncertain.’

Hope feels like it has left the building and is completely missing from the lives of many. The obstacles are many and the celebrations feel few. Many Kaiako feel defeated, and some feel depressed. However, we need High Hope People amongst our ECE teams. Without these people, problems seem plenty, and we are likely to avoid them, so they remain unsolved. There is a lot of focus on the negative things happening. There is more pessimism. People get tired and exhausted and some even give up. And without Hope, we encourage the development of fear which will stop us from moving forward well.

H- Honesty is a good place to start. Get very honest with yourself about why you became a Kaiako in the first place. Is this reason still alive in you? Your why behind teaching is crucial. Maybe you were inspired by teachers in your life or quite the opposite had a negative experience which fuelled you to be better than what you experienced as a child. Maybe you had a passion inside to serve your community. Maybe it was your love for children. Maybe you wanted to make a difference in the world. Whatever your reason, I seriously ask that you revisit this and dwell on it for some time. We want to reignite this desire and passion. Ask those around to share their reasons for becoming a teacher with you. Build on this energy of enthusiasm. Focus on the joy and love that you bring to the children in your care. Write down these pockets of goodness from your day to shift your focus.

However, if in an honest reflection, there seems to be too much lost, and too much other stuff getting in your way of reigniting your fire and becoming a High Hope Person, then consider what the next best move is for you?  Do you need a good break? Some time to study? A change in role? Or something entirely different?

O – Optimism -Being optimistic about the future is important for a High Hope Person. Being excited and hopeful that the future can be bigger and better and brighter and that you can be a part of making that happen is a wonderful mindset to create. There is a Maori Proverb, a whakatauki that says, ‘He rā ki tua.’ Better times are coming. Can you believe that too? If you are struggling, I encourage you to look at what is blocking you from believing this? Do you have too much external information coming at you about the world? Maybe turn the news and social media off for a couple of weeks and see if this changes your viewpoint. Or are you too focused on the circumstances you find yourself in that you cannot control? Write a list of things you are in control of. I will help you start; your attitude, your words, your actions, your free time…

P – Possibilities – Now it is time to really challenge yourself. The author is unknown for the following quote, “To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” Brainstorm with a colleague all the things you have not tried before in your ECE setting. Write down all the things up until now you have believed about yourself that you felt you cannot do. Now write the opposite stating that you can do it.

For example,

“I can bake muffins successfully with my children.”

“I can talk honestly with my team leader about my challenges with Learning Stories.”

Remember don’t let your past and present thoughts and habits and circumstances define you or determine where you are going. This is simply your starting point. This is where my High Hope journey begins! Now take some action.

E – Embrace – Hope is contagious. Embrace it. Hold onto it and don’t let it go. Once you start feeling more Hopeful, others will be attracted to this character in you. Your confidence will build and you will feel brave to take fresh new steps in a positive and healthy direction. Hold a staff meeting outdoors or standing up around a taller table and see how people respond differently. Find a mentor to help you stick to your new habits and goals and hold you accountable along the way. Just ensure your Mentor is also a High Hope Person too. Encourage others to step outside their comfort zone. Announce that this ECE setting no longer entertains the problems it faces for more than a week/month before engaging in an awesome and powerful solution. Look for ECE settings who are doing things differently, working against the odds, thriving despite the challenges of the community and ask to visit and support each other.

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all.”

― Emily Dickinson

Some final things to remember about Hope:

• It doesn’t just happen, you need to work on building it, maybe for the rest of your life.
• If you are unwell, tired and burnt out, you need to first practice some self-care and love, restore your health and well-being which will help as you work on a Hopeful mindset.
• Be still. Find time in your day to be present and mindful. We have to live each moment in order to appreciate it and see the good in front of us.
• Be brave. Empower yourself to step outside your comfort zone, have courageous conversations and take new wee steps into that bigger, better, brighter future.
• Celebrate the wins, finding a solution, overcoming a challenge, seeing positive change take place.
• Reflect on the potential benefits of you being a High Hope Person in your life and workplace.

Now make the decision to become someone filled with Hope. I cannot imagine a better person to have in front of our youngest people each day than someone who is actively hopeful and who holds strong to the belief that things will get better. In times of uncertainty your Hope will be a light to everyone around you. What a gift!