Look anywhere online and you will see negative posts about our profession, about staff members, parents, colleagues, and even kids. In our world these days, negativity sells or gets “likes” in social media currency.

Many years ago, I went the rounds with someone online who did not like a perspective that I put forth into the world. While their point of view was valid in their mind—and, as one who can look at the other side, valid in many areas as well—that being said, my side was also just as correct, because, as we know, in the end, it is all about perspective.

Two items can be true at the same time. The sky is blue but can be gray if clouds are present. Lately, the thermostat set to 75 is cold to me but hot to my wife, only to have us then reverse sides ten minutes later. The way we look at items is based upon our experiences and personal feelings, and we tend to hold on to those opinions tightly—and even tighter when someone challenges our way of thinking. But one area that all educators should be able to see one similar viewpoint on is with respect to our profession. Yet, we don’t promote this job as something that others should want to do, which is sad.

In my book I Wish They Knew, I clearly point out that educators do not agree on much, which is not helpful. Thus, I have been working on a next book as a way to hopefully make an impact in our profession. The title is Stop Eating Our Own: Whose Side Are You On?

Going back to the opening paragraph, the majority of posts are “eating our own” in the sense that we are not bringing glory to our jobs or our profession. Oftentimes, the statements on social media hinder the recruitment process of future educators due to the poster giving a dreary perspective on their job. Why do we do this? Why do teachers and administrators constantly want the world to know the worst parts of the gig? Further, are they correct and the worst parts are quite prevalent, or do they stink at what they do and blame everyone around them through social media as a way to recruit resentment and agreement from others all in one setting? If I had a bad day because of a student’s parents, that couldn’t possibly be the parents’ fault… right, fellow educators? Who’s with me? This kind of persona and short-sightedness is contributing to the current downward spiral of education.

In the end, we need to do better. We need to get off of the “dead horse” of publicly shaming what we do or those that do it better. We need to prop up educators crushing their job and learn from them, not push them down like they are on the other side of a teeter-totter. If we, generally speaking, continue to tell everyone how bad it is in our jobs and schools, what do we expect from those on the outside looking in? Why point out the bad and not hope to sway viewers’ eyes toward the good?

There is plenty of negativity in the world, and I am guessing that the vast majority of it comes from insecurity or jealousy. If someone can do the job better, or a school is more fun and popular, or a teacher is “insta-famous” and does fun activities, the feelings of inadequacy inevitably fill the minds of many of our colleagues out there. That is a mindset—and one we need to get away from. We have to be the biggest cheerleaders for our profession, or else we are going to go down like the Titanic. In the end, we must all work to “stop eating our own,” but that all begins with the first question one must answer: Whose side are you on?