For a number of years I have seen this coming. When I returned from London in 2014 and took up a role as a teacher, moving quickly into leadership, it was evident that the wellbeing of educators was declining, and that stress, overwhelm, and burnout was on the rise. So too were curriculum outcomes, needs of students, and documentation, all which began slowly adding to the workload, with nothing being taken away.
I have always loved teaching and still do. Leaving the classroom to become an advocate for change and an educational consultant was not an easy decision. However, I knew that if I really wanted to impact and support our teachers I had to step away. I was slowly watching teachers and colleagues, who once loved this career, be beaten down, and I couldn’t continue to allow this to happen.
What I also realised at this time, was that I too had to make some decisions about how I wanted to feel and who I wanted to be.
Teaching, as much as we may love it, can be a profession that also comes with a strong identity. If you are not aware of it, this identity can suck you in and have you take on ways of thinking, behaving and acting that only a teacher would understand. I knew I was on the verge of becoming a burnt out teacher if I didn’t make some changes.
Things like removing email from my phone, leaving no later than 5pm each day (and with the students on a Friday), becoming so organised that if I got stuck in traffic each morning it didn’t matter, my classroom would run itself (for a little while anyway). I also had to work on leaving work at work as they say. I know what it’s like to feel like there is always something to do, to worry about a student, or not have something done exactly as I planned. These things though are ways in which you can get sucked into the identity that comes with being a teacher, and at some point, you have to make a choice. A choice that allows you to be okay with knowing that there will always be something to do, that there will always be a student to worry about, and that things won’t always go to plan. This doesn’t mean these things are okay, or that we should accept them, but it does mean we can choose how we approach and think about these things, and other things that come with being a teacher.
For me, this was the first step in making sure teaching was something I could do long-term, and continue to love and find joy in (I would be more than happy teaching now if I didn’t have such a strong desire to enhance teacher and workplace wellbeing). I had to build new habits, be clear with what I wanted, how I would work, and what was going to support me long-term.
When I first asked myself how I wanted to feel, what I needed, and what was going to help me most, this is what I decided:
Teacher well-being might be a hot topic, and we know it needs addressing, so along with the above, and deciding what it is you want, need, and are willing to do to allow you to teach well and live well, I also want to share the following with you.
I have done a significant amount of work with teachers and leaders over the past year, in schools and individually, through PD, masterminds, online courses, and coaching, and what I can tell you is this:
What I also want to highlight is that there is an overlooked positivity our teachers hold, and because of this, we need to support them and work with them to bring about the change we need. This is not just about well-being but reducing workload, working more effectively, and establishing better working cultures.
Learn more about Teacher wellbeing in Amy’s new book HERE
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