Is teaching bad for your wellbeing? This blogpost reports findings from Nuffield Foundation-funded research conducted into teacher health and wellbeing.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, there was much discussion about teacher wellbeing and mental health. It was often argued that the stress of teaching was a key factor driving many out of the profession, leading to the teacher recruitment and retention crisis that has affected the sector over the last few years. More generally, there is a narrative that seems to have emerged that teachers are in worse mental health, and have lower levels of wellbeing, than individuals working in other professions. Stories in the media have emerged about the stress of teaching, and about how choosing to work in this profession is bad for your mental health. But is this really true? How does the wellbeing of teachers compare to that of other professions?
Still sticking with the chart on the left, results for anxiety levels are, however, rather different. This paints a similar picture. SURVEYFINAL Buck Warm. Supporting student wellbeing by encouraging them to use the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ (while staying at home!) Listed below are some ideas for encouraging pupils to engage with the Five Ways to Wellbeing while learning at home.
Connect with other people. Encourage your pupils to take time to video or voice call with their friends, as well as doing learning activities. They could arrange a FaceTime or WhatsApp call with their friends or encourage parents to organise this for them. Social friendships are key for everyone’s development and wellbeing. You can also build collaboration opportunities into learning activities, of course!
Be physically active.There are lots of activities pupils can do indoors, without needing much space. Keep learning. Give to others. Take notice/pay attention to the present moment. Wellbeing and mental health support during the coronavirus outbreak. Anxiety Eating disordersMeditationMental healthOCDPHSE supportResilienceSelf-careWellbeingYogaYoung people Anxiety Eating disorders Eating disorders and coronavirus (link is external) Beat Meditation.
Mental Health Awards. 69 Questions to Ask in Your School Staff Wellbeing Survey. So, you've decided to run a staff wellbeing survey at your school.
But what questions should you ask? Don't waste an afternoon thinking up questions on your own. Use this set of 69 questions, adapted from the UK Civil Service People Survey. Saying Goodbye: Bereavement Support – The Hopeful Headteacher. Before I start, we are not mourning at either of our schools.
No-one from our school community has died before people I know start reading this. An old friend who teaches in Portugal, got in touch out of the blue this weekend to ask for support as a colleague has tragically and unexpectedly passed away over the Christmas break. I turned to the hive mind that is Twitter and my PLN to ask them for support and advice to share with her as I have not been in this position as a Headteacher, as yet. In my 15 years of teaching we have lost 3 students, but the DHTs/ Heads of Faculty and Heads of Year always dealt with it.
Personally I have never been to a funeral, bizarre as I turn 40 this year I know. My tweet clearly hit a chord as it received 58 replies offerings condolences but also practical, experience based advice: “An old friend who teaches abroad needs my/ our help. Survey App. Find your space; Own your space! To be effective and happy, we need to be ourselves. The start of a new year, a big term ahead, it’s reflection time.
My message to teachers and leaders is to navigate the turbulence and try to do what you can to make your job your own; to carve out a way of working that gives you maximum space to be yourself, to express yourself, to do the things you love and care about the most. This isn’t the same as ‘do whatever you like’ in an evidence-free vacuum. It’s not ‘do as little as possible’ or ‘keep doing the same stuff you’ve always done’. No – that’s not a professional culture I’d support . But I am talking about managing the boundaries of your professional space so you can retain maximum control of your work, engaging in professional learning in the way that makes sense to you, focusing your efforts where you judge they’ll have greatest impact, making sure you keep time and effort in perspective with all your personal/family needs.
MINDFULNESS FOR CHILDREN. “As one of the very first to bring secular mindfulness into public schools, Annaka Harris is uniquely qualified to teach meditation to children in a simple, direct, and authentic way.
I highly recommend Annaka’s guided meditations and lessons for children.” —Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of Mindful Games and The Mindful Child “These are my favorite guided meditations for kids!” —Rivers Cuomo, musician and lead singer / songwriter of the band Weezer. How do you promote Whole School Wellbeing? Part 2 – Workings of an SBM. A few weeks ago I blogged about leading a table session in a School Improvement Meeting on Staff Wellbeing (Part 1) and I promised to report back.
It’s always an interesting experience, leading within what is traditionally a “teacher” forum, and it still makes me slightly nervous. This is what teachers need: Smiles and Love by Chris Dyson. This blog comes from Headteacher of Parklands Primary School and Passionate School Well-being advocate, Chris Dyson (@ChrisDysonHT) The biggest resource and the biggest impact on success in any school is the teachers and the TA’s.
So wellbeing of this vital resource is paramount to a schools success. True you can be a totalitarian dictator and get performance through criticism, capability, pressure and shouting … but this has the effect of an increase of ‘stress’ on the teacher. Stress = worry. Worry = anxiety. At my school we pride ourselves in putting the children first. Address Your Stress for Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 · MHFA England. Toolkit contents Why Address Your Stress?
Stress is everywhere, and it is directly linked to our mental health. 1 in 6 adults in Britain will experience depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time. The Mental Health Foundation, organiser of Mental Health Awareness Week, says: "By tackling stress, we can go a long way to tackle mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and, in some instances, self-harm and suicide. Action for Happiness. 9 Calm Down Ideas for Kids. 50-things-activity-list. Square Breathing: treatment for anxiety without using medication.