Marigolds and motivation

The marigold effect

I first came across the term in this post by Jennifer Gonzalez ‘Companion planting’ is when gardeners place certain plants or vegetables near each other in order to help them grow or develop. The best example of this is the marigold It is known to help ‘companion’ vegetables grow big and strong and healthy, protected and nurtured by its marigold

Gonzalez encourages new teachers to find a marigold in order to grow and thrive in our workplace.

She says you can usually spot them if:

• their offer for help sounds sincere

• they make you feel calm and hopeful

• they make you feel excited to get started on a teaching task

I was fortunate to find a marigold early in my career Although she was hardened to the perils of the professions’ burdens, as my marigold, she maintained the support and nurture that I so needed at that time in my career.

It’s hard to always be a marigold though. In our profession, we have many things to be frustrated with Some we can control, some we can’t and some we feel like we can’t.

The walnut tree

It’s easy, therefore, to turn into the walnut tree. Yes, this is the metaphorical antithesis of the marigold Gardeners avoid planting vegetables near walnut trees for they are known to give off toxic substances, wilt and eventually kill its nearby vegetables

When the going gets tough, even the sunniest of marigolds among us are in danger of turning into the walnut tree.

Here are some walnut tree behaviours:

• They make you regret asking ‘how are you?’ by telling your how hard their life is(compared to yours or anyone else’s)

• They leave you feeling deflated and bitter about the things you have to do at work.

• They make you feel like you aren’t doing enough!

We are all capable of being marigolds and walnut trees Our jobs are emotionally and physically taxing and in the worst of times, the walnut within us may appear Learn to recognise it When you do, if it is worth voicing, speak to your line manager or equivalent. Importantly too, have a marigold to turn to.

Conversely, if you are a self certified marigold–or you know someone who is – do not underestimate the power of this disposition. The colleagues you are helping to thrive through your everyday interactions means ultimately, our students continue to get the best deal.

Focus on the road, not the wall

“Don’t look at the wall.Your car goes where your eyes go.”

When young drivers start to race, they are told to focus on the road, not the wall. If they focus on the wall (at200mph) they are likely to hit the wall.

James Clear says the same could be said for your life and your work. Negativity can be like a wall. If you focus on it, you are likely to run right into it. You will be blocked by negative emotions. I know this is true in my own practice. For example, early on in my headship, one horrible parent complaint could ruin my entire day. I would seeth for hours. My interactions with colleagues would be affected. I would find myself talking about it to anyone who would listen. I would become the walnut tree.

What you focus on, grows. It will distract and prevent you from being the best you can be in the workplace. Focus on the road, not the wall.

Motivation is mundane

In this study analysing top performing swimmers and what made them havea‘consistentsuperiorityinperformance’,oneofthefindingswasthe mundanity of motivation Swimmers went to practice everyday for seemingly ‘mundane’ reasons – to see their friends, impress their coach and beat their personal best These mundane social rewards were crucial in developing their ‘excellence’ They found that daily satisfactions and achieving ‘shorter term tasks’ were much more effective than having a large overarching goal, eg. winning the Olympics.

In teaching, what are your daily satisfactions? In this post I refer to ‘red threads’, identifying and amplifying the aspects of our jobs we love and thrive in In our deliberate practice sessions, we make ‘implementation intentions’ – in other words, shorter term tasks to achieve These endeavours also mean we focus on the road, not the wall.

‘In the pursuit of excellence, maintaining mundanity is the key psychological challenge’

In summary

• Be a marigold. Surround yourself with marigolds

• Recognise the walnut tree

• Don’t look at the wall; focus on the road

• Give yourself daily satisfactions and short term goals to achieve