What are Professional Gut Checks (and why are they good for organizational and personal health)?

This is a blog about professional Gut Checks. Specifically, Gut Checks for educators who are  committed to making a difference in the lives of children. The intention of this blog is to help administrators provide clear, meaningful support to early career teachers that helps them to grow and develop professionally. It will also provide guidance for monitoring whether or not the support provided is resulting in meaningful and positive change in practice. 

The blog is also for early career teachers. It will give clear insight into the skills, strategies and dispositions that make for an effective teacher. The research is pretty clear on what that list entails, and there have been many, many books, articles, and podcasts published to support teachers as they grow in their craft. My intention here is to acknowledge that while early career teachers need a lot of professional learning to become proficient, their time is also precious. As any veteran educator knows, the first few years involve long hours of planning, trying, failing, and trying again. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of the teacher to learn, grow and adapt. No one can do that for you. 

It is my hope that everyone who encounters early career educators - administrators, veteran teachers, and new teachers themselves- will use this blog to connect new teachers to needed support, and give guidance on how to provide clear and meaningful feedback. Ultimately, it will also provide administrators with a sound decision-making process for recommending a non-tenured teacher for contract renewal, and the reasoning for that decision will be well-understood by both parties. 

Why call it a Gut Check? Well, to be honest, I wrestled a bit with that phrase. The word “guts” has a bit of a reputation. Some of that reputation applies here, and some does not. First, let’s take a look at an AI-generated list of figurative language that uses the word “gut,” that have positive connotations to life and work.

“Guts” in reference to Courage and Determination, as in:

• "He had the guts to do what was right." 

• "It takes guts to admit you were wrong." 

• "She played with guts and determination." 

• "Bust your guts."

  
  

All of these references have a clear and appropriate connotation to teaching. Taking responsibility for the learning and development of another human being absolutely takes courage and determination. It takes hard work and commitment. It requires drawing from an internal belief structure about human potential that, I would argue, comes from deep within the gut. If you don’t find the above-mentioned gut references applicable to your work as an educator, then this might not be the job for you - not as a teacher or a school administrator, who takes an even greater responsibility for the growth and development of others.

But there are also some connotations of “gut” that might apply to a career in education, but I would argue that they actually should not.

• "I had a gut feeling that something was wrong." 

• "Trust your gut." 

• "My guts told me to run." 

  
  

All of these references relate to using one’s instinct. While gut instinct may help us survive in a very literal sense, we, as humans, have evolved to do much more than just survive. More than any other animal on the planet, we have a highly developed brain, which allows us to regulate our emotional states, plan ahead, and make good decisions. Using anything less than our highly developed human brains runs contrary to everything we are trying to accomplish in education. The purpose of education is to be able to learn information that can be synthesized and applied to something useful and productive. It allows us to become our best selves, and to make positive contributions in the lives of others.

Instinct also opens us up to personal bias, which has potentially damaging and long-lasting consequences regarding equity in the human condition - a problem that education is directly tasked with solving. If we only rely on instinct, and don’t slow our brains down long enough to think critically and make a good decision, we run the risk of engaging in discrimination or unfair practices. That is not the work any of us signed up to do, so we have to be intentional about regulating unsubstantiated gut instincts. Educators need to be self-aware AND think critically in the moment.

Next, there are some references to gut that pertain to teacher retention and dismissal that are definitely not appropriate for this context.

• "It was a gut-wrenching decision." (Painful/difficult choice)

• "Spill your guts." (Reveal secrets)

• "The news hit me in the guts." (Deep emotional reaction)

  
  

All of the above references refer to “guts” in a way that is painful and secretive, resulting in an emotional “surprise ending” that is not comfortable for anyone. The decision of a school administrator to recommend a teacher for renewal or nonrenewal shouldn’t be painful. It should be one that has been made with the best interest of all parties involved, including the organization of the school or district, the students, and teachers themselves?

It should not be a secret process - transparency is key. No doubt it takes consistent, disciplined practice to be an excellent teacher. And continued growth and learning is required throughout the career of an educator. But there are some early career indicators to help administrators and teachers know if early career teachers are on-track, and if they are not, can alert educators to “the next best move” to get on track as quickly as possible, or help them decide that maybe, another career choice would be more suitable. 

Finally, modern medical science is revealing the importance of our gut to our overall well-being.

We are just beginning to understand how important gut health is to all facets of our life. Did you know that:

• Brain cells called neurons also exist in the lining of the digestive tract in the “gut,” which is why some people now call the gut the “second brain?”

• “Feel good” hormones - including serotonin, which helps to regulate mood, and dopamine - which influences pleasure and reward, are actually produced in the gut?

• Having a healthy gut, by feeding it a rich and varied diet, can manage inflammation in the body impacts a better stress response and decreases anxiety?

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That is what this blog is metaphorically about. Just as the body system relies on the gut for an individual’s mental health, decision-making, and overall well-being,  a school or district needs to develop a healthy “gut” so that all members of the organization are mentally and emotionally well, and are best equipped to make good decisions that impact the health of the organization, the people who work in the organization, and the students we serve. 

Let’s develop a healthy gut together!

Deeper Dive

Hack Your Health: Secrets of the Gut - Netflix Documentary