Staying Steady When Things Get Wobbly – Self Regulation is Vital
Working in schools can feel like riding a rollercoaster—rewarding one minute and overwhelming the next. With so many demands, personalities and unpredictable moments, strong emotional self-regulation isn’t just helpful…it’s essential. The ability to stay calm, respond thoughtfully and manage our internal state, directly affects our relationships, decision-making and our well-being.
The Top 5 Causes of Teacher Stress – And What You Can Do About Them
Teaching has always been a rewarding profession but it has also become increasingly demanding. While every school is different, the biggest sources of teacher stress are remarkably consistent. The good news? Small changes in how we work and think can make a big difference. Here are five common stressors and some practical tips to help manage them
Getting Your Sh#t Together
Staff in schools feel like they are constantly juggling competing priorities—planning, marking, meetings, managing behaviour, dealing with parents and the never-ending to-do list. It can feel overwhelming at times. In her bestselling book, Get Your Sh*t Together, Sarah Knight offers a refreshingly straightforward
How Can the Pareto Principle Help?
It often feels like there is never enough time. Emails, meetings, paperwork, planning, marking, conversations with parents and supporting students can quickly fill every minute of the day. The Pareto Principle, often called the 80/20 Rule, offers a simple way to think about your workload.
Play to YOUR Strengths!
Every staff member in a school has unique strengths. Yet many of us spend far more time worrying about what we can’t do than recognising what we do well. Our brains have a natural negativity bias. We notice mistakes, weaknesses and
When You Suspect a Student May Be Neurodivergent
Teachers often notice when a student learns, communicates, behaves or interacts differently from their peers. While these observations can be important, conversations with parents require sensitivity, care and professionalism. Parents may feel worried, defensive, relieved or overwhelmed.
The Starfish Story: Small Acts, Big Impact
It’s early morning. A teacher walks along a beach after a storm and notices thousands of starfish scattered along the sand. In the distance, someone is picking them up one by one and gently throwing them back into the ocean. Curious, the teacher approaches and says, “There are too many. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The person bends down, picks up another starfish, tosses it into the water and replies, “It made a difference to that one.”
The Happiness Advantage in Schools
Psychologist Shawn Achor highlights seven key principles of positive psychology that help people thrive. In schools, these aren’t “nice to have” ideas — they are practical strategies that improve performance, relationships and wellbeing.
The Pygmalion Effect- The Power of Belief in Schools
Research has been undertaken in many classrooms around the world into a phenomenon known as the Pygmalion Effect. The research demonstrates the impact of teachers’ expectations. Teachers’ expectations can dramatically affect students achievement. If a teacher is told that his or her students are bright, the teacher will be more supportive, use more complex vocabulary, teach more challenging material, allow more ‘wait’ time for students to answer questions and provide more thoughtful and useful feedback to the students. In turn, the students receiving this attention will perform to this level.
Getting Better Sleep
Often the effects of stress are compounded by problems of not getting the sleep we require. Our active minds and negative self-talk can keep us awake or wake us during the night. Dr David Morawetz’s self-help program “Sleep Better…Without Drugs” provides a great 4 to 6 week program for overcoming bad sleep habits.
Managing Your Energy Levels
We all have the same amount of time each day. The real issue isn’t time — it’s energy. When your energy is high, you’re effective, patient and positive. When it’s low, everything feels harder. The key is learning to manage your energy, not just your schedule
4 Stress Busting Tools
We all lead busy lives and we ALL suffer stress in some form or other at different times. If you feel as though you are becoming overwhelmed, STOP and take some time to prioritise your workload. What is really important?