Resilience

It’s not a very comfortable thought, but true nonetheless; staff who work in schools are at very high risk of burnout. All of us are. We don’t have to be new teachers or have a difficult schedule or even teach the worst-behaved students in the school. This makes sense if you consider how we spend our days: sandwiched between the needs of our students, the requirements of the curriculum, the expectations of our society and our own idealism—our desire to effect a positive change in the world. There is comfort in sensibly accepting the knowledge that we are at risk of burnout. Because career stress is not going to vanish overnight, it is up to you to protect yourself from…

It can be difficult to disconnect from our work in schools. We often think about the challenges we face and worry about particular students, even when we are on holidays. Technological “improvements” have made us more connected than ever and this can have a negative effect on our well-being. The ability to disconnect is more important than ever. If we are constantly “on” and thinking about our work, our stress levels will be high and we are unlikely to be present in our home life. This has a negative effect on our relationships and our happiness. Dr Adam Fraser in his excellent book, “The Third Space” highlights the importance of transitioning between school and home. Creating an opportunity to leave…