Joy in Teaching was born out a place of concern and empathy for a profession that I care about deeply. As a veteran teacher I have witnessed way too many teachers turn away from their careers due a variety of stressors. Whether it was a desire to teach the way their students deserved, a need to be acknowledged and respected for their hard work and dedication, or a longing to be able to leave work at work – job stress and dissatisfaction is a wide spread problem that is not being addressed or openly discussed in schools.

Sure, you may fill out a survey here and there that seems to suggest that stakeholders in education care about the disposition of teachers, however, actions speak louder than words and when no actionable steps are taken to promote teacher well-being, a feeling of isolation and discontent creeps into the school culture. Follow this up with an ominous socio-political landscape that is quick to place blame rather than find solutions and you have a perfect storm of educator fatigue.

The Time is Now

Teaching is a high stakes profession.

Teachers are entrusted with our future. So, how is it that their well-being is not a priority?

Each year more and more is added.
High-stakes testing. Strenuous schedules. New initiatives. Higher demands. Fewer benefits. Less trust. This is without mention of the day-to-day relationships, management, and accountability that is expected.

Don’t get me wrong, there are numerous, wonderful rewards to be found in teaching. It’s just that the weight on teachers’ shoulders is immense and all too often they are expected to it carry alone.

Enter me.

Tiffany Carr. I am not the most resilient teacher in the world. I am not immune to frustration or burnout. I am, however, passionate about education, the profession and those within it. I care that teachers are leaving the profession in droves, that less and less college students are drawn to the profession, that educators (teachers and administrators alike) are frustrated and stressed … and I have experienced it all first hand. After 16 years as a public school teacher and completing my Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning I made the conscious decision to take action.

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Listen While You Plan

In June of 2017 the Joy in Teaching Facebook Group launched as a community of support for educators. I nerve-rackingly posted on Facebook live in my last moments before leaving my classroom for the summer. The response was overwhelmingly positive and thus began the journey of Joy in Teaching.

Here is the video that started it all:

The following August the Joy in Teaching website went live offering resources and professional development to support teacher well-being. Both the group and website were developed to offer a lifeline to educators. A beacon of light for teachers and administrators who seek to build resilience and invest in retention.

The Mission of Joy in Teaching

 Build teacher resiliency, invest in the retention of good teachers, and reclaim the joy in teaching by providing actionable and inspirational resources to educators.

The Goal of Joy in Teaching

 For education to be an attractive profession wherein educators feel supported and heard. Put simply – #SaveTheTeachers

Joy in Teaching is committed to providing educators the tools and support needed to build resiliency and enjoy teaching. No one benefits from frustrated or burned-out teachers, however, the benefits from happy, caring, strong teachers are immeasurable. It’s time to save the teachers and Joy in Teaching will be here ever step of the way.

Joy in Teaching is more than a website. It is a place to find support, to know you are not alone when teaching becomes stressful, when the profession you have dedicated your life to begins to lose its joy. It is beacon of light amidst the turbulent turmoil of a profession in which statistics prove has the ability to devour. Joy in teaching is committed to being a positive source of actionable and inspirational resources to support educators and help them to reclaim the joy in teaching.

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