Are you hitting a wall in creating values alignment between your personal values and your teaching?
Maybe you find yourself going through the motions of teaching without feeling truly connected to your work.
You might feel like you’re just “getting through the day” rather than genuinely engaging with your students and the material.
Or you often feel overwhelmed, stressed, or frustrated.
Despite your efforts, you struggle to find joy and satisfaction in your teaching, which can be a sign that your current practices are not reflecting what you truly believe in.
Finding something challenging doesn’t mean you should give up.
Perhaps you haven’t found that one approach you need to master to achieve values alignment in your teaching.
Lucky for you, I’m here to teach you all about aligning your teaching practices with your personal values.
Grab your emotional support drink of choice and dive in with me, friend.
First, What is Values Alignment?
Have you heard of values alignment before? It’s no problem if you haven’t.
In most simple terms, values alignment is ensuring that your actions and decisions, in this case, your teaching practices, reflect your personal values and beliefs.
You may frequently encounter situations where you feel you have to compromise your values.
For example, you might value creativity and student-led learning but find yourself relying heavily on standardized tests and rigid curriculums that stifle innovation.
This can be an indicator in recognizing the need for realignment with your core values to create a more fulfilling and effective teaching experience.
For those of us who have been in education for a while, you know this means creating a classroom environment and teaching approach that feels authentic and fulfilling, both for you and your students.
As you can see, values alignment can help you create a more harmonious and effective teaching experience, where your personal beliefs support and enhance your professional goals.
It’s also good to know that:
- Values alignment leads to greater job satisfaction and reduces burnout.
- Students thrive in an environment where teachers model authenticity and integrity.
- Aligning your values with your teaching practices can improve classroom dynamics and student-teacher relationships.
How I Started Using Values Alignment to Improve My Teaching
Not to humblebrag, but you may look at me and my successful career and think, “She’s one to talk about struggling with values alignment.”
Years ago, I was just like you. I was overwhelmed, struggling to balance my teaching duties with my personal beliefs, and ready to throw in the towel.
Then, I found values alignment, and it changed me and my teaching by:
- Creating Consistency: I began aligning my teaching methods with my core values, which brought consistency to my approach and helped me feel more grounded and authentic in my work.
- Improving Relationships: When I started teaching in a way that resonated with my values, my relationships with students improved. They could sense my authenticity, which built trust and mutual respect.
- Boosting Motivation: Aligning my values with my teaching reignited my passion for education. I felt more motivated and energized because my work was in harmony with my personal beliefs.
Side Note: This may seem pretty magical but it’s still hard work. Others in education approach it differently. For example, my friend, Dara Feldman, has a similar but different approach to values that focuses on bringing joy, meaning, and purpose to teaching and learning through Virtues Matter. Give it a look to see how this work can transform your teaching.
5 Actionable Steps to Implement Values Alignment Today
You know how values alignment works now, but maybe you’re struggling to see how you can make it work for you.
Try this:
- Identify Your Core Values: Reflect on what matters most to you. Write down your core values and think about how they relate to your teaching practices.
- Assess Your Current Practices: Look at your current teaching methods and classroom environment. Are they in line with your core values? If not, identify areas for improvement.
- Set Clear Goals: Define what values alignment looks like in your classroom. Set specific, achievable goals that reflect your values.
- Seek Support: Contact me for a free, no-commitment call about aligning your teaching with your values.
- Avoid Inconsistency: Consistency is key in values alignment. Avoid practices that contradict your core values, as this can undermine your efforts and cause confusion.
I dare you to pick out even just one of the above steps and do it before you close your laptop tonight.
Do you see the comment section below? Let me know which step you plan on doing first. Join the convo and share your own successes or struggles with the community!
Case Study: Michele
Michele was fed up with feeling disconnected from her teaching practices. Thankfully, she came across values alignment through my masterclass.
In her own words, “I had tried so many things, and when Holly mentioned values alignment, I was sure it was just another buzzword.”
Since she had tried other methods, she thought, “What did I have to lose at that point? I knew the way I was teaching wasn’t working.” She joined my Ignite program and to her surprise, she has managed to transform her classroom into a space where she and her students thrive.
Before joining the program, Michele described her situation as “a bunch of wires on the floor all tangled up.” She loved her job as a music teacher but felt overwhelmed and stressed, dealing with personal issues that spilled over into her professional life. “I felt like I was working harder and not smarter. I needed to clear things up and love teaching music again.”
After joining the program, Michele experienced significant positive changes:
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety: “I wanted to feel less stressed out and not feel the anxiety when I went to work. Holly helped me clear out that negative energy.”
- Improved Classroom Management: “I needed to learn how to connect with my students more effectively, especially the challenging ones. Through the techniques I learned, I had fewer discipline issues and more personal connections with my students.”
- Enhanced Creativity and Organization: “I now have room for creativity and fun in my classroom. I’m progressing instead of stressing. I even developed organizational ideas for my big projects, like my spring concert.”
Michele’s testimonial speaks volumes about the program’s impact: “My spring concert was amazing. The kids were motivated to practice more because I had personal conversations with specific students. I highly recommend taking this class if you feel like you have some kind of mental blockage or need help dealing with burnout.”
I am proud to call Michele a friend and favorite client to this day.
Wrapping it Up
People like you and Michele are precisely why I started Empowered Educators.
I knew there was a need for a holistic approach to teaching that aligns with personal values.
From there, I launched Ignite Your Teaching Magic, which is helping educators transform their classrooms, increase their effectiveness, and have more work/life balance.
If you would like to know more, click here or follow me over on Instagram.
Good job on making it to the end of this post! That type of commitment shows that you will achieve values alignment in your teaching.
Here’s a freebie as a reward! Just don’t tell anyone you got it from me. Deal?
Click the image below to grab it now >>
