( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Rafferty Breaks The Superhero Ideology at TEDx Talk
ENSPIRE Contributor: Gabrielle Maya
A middle school music teacher for 15 years, Jen Rafferty is breaking down the ideology of educators being superheroes. During 2020, the pandemic caused major burnout for many teachers, and she felt something wasn’t right in her career, so she started anew. She went from teaching to creating a company called Empowered Educator to support adults in the school space so they can show up and care for their students. Rafferty inspires many teachers and former educators to release the expectation of ‘doing it all’ or ‘having it all figured out.’
Rafferty is best known for her viral TEDx Talk urging teachers to let go and stay present and regulated for themselves and their classrooms. As the CEO of Empowered Educator, she encourages teachers to reinvent and pivot their mindsets so they can have less burnout and navigate their emotional intelligence and mental health, all while growing and consistently being there for their students and also for themselves in their personal and professional lives through holistic social-emotional health workshops and modules.
Her services include Keynotes, Become an Empowered Educator School, Empowered Leadership Collective, and Other Professional Development Opportunities. Rafferty’s research and dedication to education has led to being featured in Authority Magazine, Medium, Thrive Global, and Voyage MIA. She is even the author of the Amazon bestseller “A Place in the Staff: Finding Your Way as a Music Teacher.” In addition, she is the host of the podcast “Take Notes,” which is in the top 2.5% of global podcasts.
You will learn about Rafferty’s idea for Empowered Educator, the three essential ways to prevent burnout, and the keynote presentation she tailored on generational change for educators. You will also learn about the diligent research taken to create Empowered Educator, the 8 tenets of an empowered educator, current workshops for motivational development, her podcast “Take Notes,” and so much more.
How did the idea for Empowered Educator come to you during the pandemic in 2020, and how did it affect you and other educators?
Teacher burnout was nothing new, but we couldn’t ignore it during the pandemic anymore. Schools were, and continue to be, focused on students’ social and emotional well-being, which is obviously important, but there is a gap in supporting adults. We know that a school’s well-being depends on its educators’ well-being, which is why Empowered Educator bridges the gap. The impact has already been tremendous on the communities we serve. We see higher retention rates, improved teacher morale, and decreased student disciplinary referrals.
What are three essential ways to prevent burnout, especially in education?
Self-regulation, setting boundaries, and having a strong community are key to preventing burnout. Prioritizing self-regulation is key. You cannot show up as your best self if you constantly feel overwhelmed and stressed. Educators need tools to manage their emotional energy, set strong boundaries, and learn when saying “no” is essential. Additionally, it’s crucial to create a community of support and connect with others who understand the challenges of teaching. This is all critical to preventing burnout.
Tell us about your keynote presentation about generational change and how you tailor it to the needs of individual educators.
Organizations and systems don’t change until people change. And truly, the only person you have any agency to change is you! Massive change happens when educators understand their agency and continue to show up in alignment with who they want to be. If we want our students to know their self-worth, we must realize ours. The keynotes I share serve as a gateway for people to recognize their power to be agents of change.
Could you explain the research behind Empowered Educator?
Oh yes! I love the research, especially now that I am finishing my dissertation for my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. All Empowered Educator programs are based on emotional intelligence, mindset, and cognitive neuroscience research. So much of what we do is grounded in flow theories, social learning theory, positive psychology, and humanistic psychology.
What is the importance of the 8 tenets of an empowered educator, and how is this applied to your services?
The 8 tenets create the guideposts for all Empowered Educator programming. They include mission, vision, metacognition, reflection, advocacy, language, well-being, and emotional intelligence. By embodying these tenets in our services, educators know how to lead purposefully and model emotional intelligence for their students.
What are some current workshops educators can join for emotional development?
We have designed all our programs to be incredibly accessible for busy educators. THRIVE, offered every three months, is a self-paced course that allows educators to reignite their passion for teaching and show up each day feeling empowered. This course takes participants through the 8 tenets of Empowered Educator. Redesign Your Mind is a live virtual course that dives deep into mindset, cognitive neuroscience, and somatic practices to give educators the tools to make sustainable change. Redesign Your Mind is offered in the fall, winter, and summer. You can learn more at empoweredeucator.com/workshops.
What’s the intention behind your podcast “Take Notes,” and how does it support Empowered Educator?
“Take Notes” has beenand continues to be such a fun project. The podcast has been designed to serve as an additional resource for educators, offering practical advice on how to understand yourself better to serve your students better. I’ve had incredible expert guests on the show and have explored topics on mindset, emotional intelligence, neuroscience, grief, boundaries, failure, and leadership, among many other topics. It’s a great show.
What would you say to future educators and parents about breaking the superhero ideology in classrooms?
The superhero narrative sounds great on paper, but superheroes are super-human. Educators are heroes, AND we are very human. Serving school communities from a place of self-sacrifice and martyrdom only perpetuates the frustration, overwhelm, and burnout everyone wants to avoid. The fundamental principle of Empowered Educator continues to be that the most generous thing you can do for your students is take care of yourself. When educators embody this idea, everything changes. The educators we work with are feeling less stressed and more joyful, and schools are experiencing an increase in teacher retention, a decrease in student disciplinary referrals, and even an increase in student academic achievement. Empowered teachers make for empowered students, which is the best way we can serve our children.
To learn more about Empowered Educator, visit https://empowerededucator.com/ and learn how to get started. Follow Jen Rafferty on Instagram for updates on her workshops, speaking events, and services. Click here to view her TEDx Talk on YouTube.
Related Articles: Jill Wright Coaches Mothers on Battling Burnout and Time Management Changing the ‘Self-Care’ Game, Chin Up Makes Impactful Contribution to the Youth
