#Notice
I'm still on my mission to spread positivity in our profession, and in the last 2 months, I've been sharing a weekly #TeachingHero. They've got great advice on well-being and resilience in our profession. What's more, they're a better read than the life-sucking misery that you'll find in some media outlets these days. I guarantee they'll brighten your day: One Two Three Four Five Six #Learn This month I've been reading 'The Unofficial Teacher's Manual'. It was sent to me by the lovely author, also a teacher, writing from a wealth of experience. It's hard-hitting, brutally honest and absolutely relatable. I'll be posting a dedicated review very soon! #Give This month, I'd like to celebrate teamwork! Drop me a message on Facebook or Twitter, with some details of a member of your team, and I'll send them a thank you gift from the both of us!
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What strategies do you use to manage workload and protect your well being?
Setting small achievable targets works well for me. Also, I give myself 5 things per week to achieve, 1 per day. I don’t leave on a Friday till it’s done which works out 90% of the time. My school isn’t brilliant for wellbeing but our KS1 team are all fab. We do an exercise class ran by a professional instructor once per week for all staff. We all go out together at the end of each term. Birthdays are celebrated etc. There’s still some way to go for us as a school but we are a working progress! What advice would you give anyone who felt like giving up? My advice is to look at what it is that is causing you the most difficulty and stress. Don’t try to fix it quickly, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Think of small achievable things you can do to help you. And don’t be afraid to ask for help, there’s no such thing as a silly question. A few times I’ve learnt that the hard way!! Obviously we all have our down days. If I feel like I’m having a bad one, I tend to go home early and take my mind off it. Go out for dinner, catch up on TV, a drink with friends etc. I’m 7 years in now and still learning to manage each day at a time. Sum up our profession in 5 words. Teamwork makes the dream work.
It's a careful mix of goal-setting, mindfulness, healthy living and holding yourself to account for the choices you make. Hal accurately describes your thought process as you talk yourself out of doing something great, with the simple conclusion of, 'why aren't you bothering?' Did you know that 95% of people settle for mediocrity? Would you like to be one of the 5% that goes above and beyond? He sets out a simple acronym, S.A.V.E.R.S as a way of starting each day right, organised in a way that could last 6 minutes, or 60 minutes, depending on how busy you are! I can't recommend this book enough. It really will motivate you to deliver your best self.
What strategies do you use to manage workload and protect your well being?
To manage my workload I make lists and prioritise with what I'm teaching always coming first. I commute so try to maximise work time then. I never work Friday evenings. What advice would you give anyone who felt like giving up? Never give up. Look at things from a different angle. I think the most important thing is that you know yourself. I know when I am losing control and take steps to cope. I speak with my line manager, go for a long walk to clear my head and find some pupils who I know will give me some perspective. Never ever lose sight of how brilliant you are - I'm brilliant but I am working in the hardest of situations and that is going to get me down from time to time...being down is ok - don't let anyone tell you otherwise but as a wise woman once said to me 'You can visit pity city but you can't stay too long.' Sum up our profession in 5 words. Vocation. Love. Knowledge. Life. Rollercoaster. Never the same. (That's six)
My response is purely my opinion, and you're welcome to comment below with changes you would make. But this is what I'd advise personally: A specific 'ice-breaker' isn't going to be necessary, especially as you're the new one, not them. Even when you have a class full-time, my advice would still be to get into the learning as soon as possible, setting the long-term standards, and learn about each other along the way. I'm sure there are many teachers that give out a neatly compartmentalised grid with the children's hopes, food dislikes and favourite subjects scrawled across, but I doubt they do anything of any value with it; I'm pleased you're ambitious, I won't be cooking for you anyway, and you can love or hate every subject, it's still going to be taught to you! You must keep in mind that, at some point, you're going to be responsible for the progress of these children (whether it's a placement or an employed post), so while you obviously want to get to know everyone, and for them to know you, you must ensure that you keep control of your image. By this, I mean that we are so keen to tell everyone our quirkiest talents, best adventures and funniest stories in an understandable bid to be liked, and all these episodes build the picture someone has of us. With this in mind, consider the picture you want (and ultimately NEED) the children to have of you. Eventually, you're going to need them to feel safe with you, listen to you, in order to create the best outcomes with regards to learning. My advice would be, everything in moderation:
Being their friend first, and teacher second is never going to work. They're going to fall in love with you regardless. They want someone who is going to work hard for them, and they'll work just as hard for you. Best of luck!
What strategies do you use to manage workload and protect your well being?
Our School promotes cooperation and supportive relationships within both year group and Keystage teams. I don’t know where I’d be without my colleagues. We share planning, discuss judgments, and have a laugh. I try to work hard in the week so I can play hard at the weekend with my family. I go running and attend the staff bootcamp at school on Wednesday after school. What advice would you give anyone who felt like giving up? Listen to feedback/advice from SLT. Find a friend at school who you can be totally honest with and support one another. Help each other to identify and choose a couple of key targets within the area that feels tough (time management, work-life balance, behaviour strategies, etc)- and work on those a few at a time. Be honest and accountable. Sum up our profession in 5 words. Living love to see growth.
What strategies do you use to manage workload and protect your well being?
My strategies to manage work load is do the important tasks first, create a list with only three things on it and then do them. Then create three more things. Schedule time to relax bath and a good book (work in progress). What advice would you give anyone who felt like giving up? Anyone thinking of giving up think of someone you are making a difference to, someone you’ve made a difference to, surround yourself with positive people. I battle negativity by reading positive blogs, using twitter and TES community, going for a walk, doing human things. Sum up our profession in 5 words. This is a hard one............. we are helping to change the world, sorry it’s over the word count. |
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