Elizabeth Uwagwu on Choosing Joy, Teaching with Purpose and Supporting Teachers

Elizabeth Uwagwu, known online as LizIgnite, The Teacher With Joy, is an educator, music teacher and pastoral leader with over 18 years of experience in education, music and leadership. A professionally trained teacher with an Advanced Diploma in Educational Leadership and Management, she is passionate about helping teachers find joy in their work, grow professionally and create meaningful experiences for their students.

Through Teachers With Joy, a free community she created for educators, Elizabeth encourages teachers to support one another, share practical resources and build simple habits that promote wellbeing. Her work also explores how music can help children develop confidence and creativity, and how accessible AI tools can help teachers work smarter and reclaim their time.

Guided by her belief that joy is not a luxury but a strategy, Elizabeth is building a community where teachers can find encouragement, practical tools and a sense of belonging.

In this interview with The Impact Journal (TIJ), we sat down with Elizabeth to discuss her journey into education, the influence of her father, her philosophy of joy, the inspiration behind Teachers With Joy, and her vision for supporting teachers through community, music and technology.

TIJ: Beyond all the titles, qualifications and achievements, who is Elizabeth Uwagwu? What values, beliefs or personal experiences have shaped the woman you are today and kept you going throughout your career?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: I am a teacher by choice, and a daughter who was well supported. My father was an organist, and he stood behind me when I told him I wanted to teach. That support showed me what encouragement can do for a person, and I try to give it to others.

I believe in doing the right thing, even when it is not the popular thing. I have always held myself to the standard I expect from other people, because those of us in education are role models first. That has not always been easy, but it is who I am.

I also love joy. I believe a life with high standards and real joy can sit together. Everything I do now, as a music teacher, a leader and the person behind Teachers With Joy, comes from those few things: encouragement, integrity and joy.

TIJ: You have spent over 18 years working in education, music and leadership. What first drew you to teaching, and what has kept you committed to this path over the years?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: I have always liked sharing knowledge. When I finished secondary school, I did not drift into teaching or end up there by mistake. I decided I wanted to be a teacher, and I went straight to the College of Education. I am a professionally trained teacher, and I have never been confused about that.

Over 18 years later, what keeps me committed is the same thing that drew me in. I enjoy helping a person understand something they did not understand before, and I enjoy seeing them grow. Some days are heavy, and I will not pretend they are not. But the work still means something to me, and I have learnt to look for the small good things in every day. They keep me going.

TIJ: What is one small daily habit that helps you keep your joy as an educator, and how can other teachers try it?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: The one I share most with other teachers is called Three Good Things. At the end of the day, you write down three good things that happened, and why they happened. That is all.

It sounds too simple, but research on positive emotions in teachers links joy with better coping and wellbeing. Writing the three things trains your mind to notice what is going well, even on a hard day.

My advice is to start tonight. Use a notebook or your phone, and keep it to two minutes. Small habits that you actually keep are better than big plans that you drop.

TIJ: Music is an important part of your work as an educator. What inspired you to use music as a tool for building confidence, creativity and self-expression in children, and what impact have you seen it make in the lives of your students?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: My father is the reason. He was an organist. When I told him I wanted to be a teacher, he encouraged me, and he said that if I was going to the College of Education, then it must be music. I agreed, and he supported me all the way. I have never regretted studying music.

I believe music gives children a safe way to express what they cannot always say. When you hold an instrument, you try, you make mistakes and you try again. You learn to listen, to wait your turn and to perform in front of other people. All of that builds confidence, and confidence carries into every other part of a child’s life.

For me, music has never been only a subject. It is a way of helping people become brave.

TIJ: You are known as LizIgnite, The Teacher With Joy, and your message is that joy is not a luxury but a strategy. How did this philosophy develop? Was there a particular experience or season in your life that changed the way you understood joy and its place in your work?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: Yes, there was. There was a season when I was low and unhappy, and I could not seem to shake it. During that time I came across the words, “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10), and I felt God telling me to choose joy. So I decided to try it. I practised it, and I am still practising it today.

I want to be careful here. Choosing joy did not change my circumstances overnight, and I am not saying it replaces professional help. If anyone is struggling, they should speak to a doctor or a counsellor, and to people they trust. What changed for me was how I carried things. I stopped letting every pressure decide my mood. Things felt lighter, and I had more energy for what mattered.

That is why I decided not to keep it to myself, and especially to share it with teachers. Teaching is demanding. There is a lot to do, and often little time to rest or to spend with friends. Research links positive emotions in teachers with better coping, engagement and wellbeing, and joy is something we can practise on purpose, with small habits like writing down three good things each day.

So when I say joy is a strategy, I mean it in a practical way. It does not remove the hard parts of the job. It gives us strength to carry them. That is why I call joy my superpower.

TIJ: You started Teachers With Joy, a free community where teachers support one another, share resources and participate in weekly joy challenges. What inspired you to create this community, and what do you hope teachers experience or become through being part of it?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: I was inspired after attending live sessions and a teachers’ conference. I saw how powerful it is when teachers gather, share and encourage each other, and I wanted to give that to more teachers.

Teachers With Joy is free. Teachers support each other, share simple resources and take part in weekly joy challenges. Nothing is compulsory.

What I hope teachers get is simple. I want them to feel seen, to feel less alone, and to leave with one small thing they can use the next day. If a teacher walks away smiling and a little lighter, I am happy.

TIJ: What helps teachers stay well and keep growing, and what role can community play?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: Three things have made the biggest difference for the teachers I know. The first is small daily habits, like noticing three good things. The second is simple tools that give time back. The third is people. A teacher who has a community to ask, laugh and share with carries the load better.

Joy is not a replacement for the support every teacher deserves. But it is something we can build while we work towards more.

That is why I believe community matters so much. Nobody should have to do this alone.

TIJ: You also speak about using simple AI tools to help teachers work smarter and reclaim their time. What sparked your interest in AI, and how do you see it helping teachers reduce their workload while preserving the human connection that makes teaching meaningful?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: What interests me about AI is very practical. I want teachers to get their time back.

So I keep it simple. I share free, easy tools, like one that turns a single text into different reading levels in a few clicks. I have spoken to teachers about this, and I have shared a free guide so they can try it at their own pace.

Here is how I see it. The tool does the repetitive part. The teacher still decides, checks and adds the care. AI cannot sit with a child who is struggling, or notice when someone needs encouragement. That part belongs to us. So if a tool saves me twenty minutes, I spend them on people.

TIJ: Every meaningful journey comes with its own challenges. Looking back on your career, can you share a season that tested you, how you navigated it and what it taught you? As you look ahead, what is the bigger vision you hope to achieve through LizIgnite and Teachers With Joy?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: As I grew into leadership, I had to hold people accountable for doing the right thing. That cost me. I lost some friends along the way, and more than once I was asked why I was being so difficult, or so strict. It tested me.

But I came to understand that this comes with the work. As teachers and leaders, we are role models, and we cannot expect from students what we are not ready to do ourselves. It taught me that doing the right thing will not always make you popular, and that you can hold a standard with kindness.

Looking ahead, my vision is simple. I want Teachers With Joy to become a place where teachers anywhere can find encouragement, simple tools and friends. I want to keep it free and welcoming. I want more teachers to choose joy on purpose, and I want to speak to many more of them. My message is Igniting Joy Everywhere, and I mean it.

TIJ: Finally, if you could sit with a young teacher just starting their career, or someone who has been teaching for years but is struggling to find joy in the work, what would you tell them? What lessons from your own journey do you believe could help them build a fulfilling and meaningful career in education?

Elizabeth Uwagwu: To the teacher just starting: be kind to yourself. You will not get everything right, and that is fine. Find your people early. Learn one small thing each week.

To the teacher who is tired: I see you. You do not have to pretend. Start very small. Write down three good things tonight. Play a song you love. Call a friend. Joy does not always arrive as a big feeling. Sometimes it is just two quiet minutes.

And keep your standards. It may cost you some things, but you will be able to look at yourself at the end of the day. Please do not do this alone. Work smart, choose joy, and ignite purpose. It is not a slogan for me. It is how I stay.