Sustaining Purpose and Passion: Perspectives of Accomplished Teachers

This phenomenological study explored how accomplished public elementary school teachers sustained purpose and passion despite demanding professional conditions. The inquiry was conducted in Manay North District, Division of Davao Oriental, Philippines, with ten public elementary school teachers selected through purposive sampling. Participants had at least 15 continuous years of classroom teaching and had demonstrated sustained excellence through recognition, leadership, mentoring, or community engagement. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, field notes, and supporting documents, then analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. The first research aim identified three challenge themes: overloaded teaching role, weak support system, and learner and parent demands. These challenges appeared through paperwork pressure, time shortage, physical exhaustion, limited resources, unclear leadership, lack of appreciation, behavior problems, parent pressure, and slow learner progress. The second research aim identified three coping themes: personal self-regulation, support from others, and meaning in learner progress. Teachers sustained commitment by setting limits, organizing tasks, reflecting on emotions, drawing support from colleagues, family members, and parents, and finding renewed purpose in small learner gains, trust, and former learners’ appreciation. The third research aim generated a professional growth enhancement program focused on workload management, teacher well-being, instructional resourcefulness, supportive leadership, peer mentoring, behavior management, parent partnership, progress monitoring, remediation, and recognition. The findings indicate that teacher passion is sustained not by personal dedication alone but by the interaction of meaning, relational support, manageable work conditions, and school systems that recognize teachers as whole persons and professionals.