#WBDMarch

Well-Being Diary; March.
Welcome to the first of a monthly instalment, The Well-Being Diary. I've been inspired by my weekly #TeachingHero, to share ideas and discussion around looking after yourself, in order to perform at full capacity in the classroom. 

Well-being covers many aspects, personally and professionally, and I'll be using Martyn Reah's original #Teacher5ADay structure to keep me on track.  

#Connect
I was lucky enough to grab an adventure to Marrakech with two best teacher friends of mine. While I likely bored them with too much teacher talk around the pool, it was the best setting to switch off and recharge. We also got to explore the souks and the Atlas mountains! Labranda Targa was an ideal hotel for what we needed. I'd recommend it!

#Exercise
As I've previously mentioned, this is always a tricky one for me; I give up too easily. I could be getting a high-impact routine together with regards to balancing exercise amongst all other facets in life, but I come up with too many excuses. That said, this month I have started something I never thought possible; jogging! Using the NHS Couch To 5K App, my most wonderful friend has encouraged me by a charity run they're doing. I'm trying to use Twitter to hold me accountable. 

#Notice
This month saw the launch of my weekly #TeachingHero - a regular interview slot where positive practitioners share their advice and wisdom on teacher retention and strategies to keep you motivated. You can notice them too by clicking here, here and here! Comment below or contact me via any of my media channels to get involved! It's much more productive to take notice of positive role models, than enthusiasm-sucking pessimists.

#Learn
I've learnt LOADS this month! However, my best lessons have come from 3 sources. The first has been a book I am reading, called the 'The Miracle Morning.' It might be changing my life, and I'll post a review soon! The second source was the DfE Teacher Workload Conference I attended (you can catch up on that here). And the third is the continuing NPQSL qualification I am currently undertaking. There are a few more sessions of the course to go, and it's dawned on me that I should start sharing some reflections on the research I am finding.

​#Give
I've been learning a lot this month about modern children's lives, which sounds ridiculous as I read it back, but I don't think I realised how far removed I am from what being a child is like nowadays. It's over-stimulating screens and so much choice that they can't settle. At Parent's Evening this month, supportive families were telling me their child can't even sit long enough for a family game, and that makes me sad. So I've decided to run a new club upon our return. I want to instil that 'family around the table' atmosphere, and have spent a small fortune on board games, in the hope we can get our young people's attention to having real connections and relationships. More on that soon.