Promote your Wellbeing

With marking, assessments and planning burning a hole in many a teacher’s weekly schedule, arguably the most important part of their career centres around wellbeing.

Every teacher will find challenging obstacles in their quest for a positive state of wellbeing, but I am hoping to offer some tips and ideas to help get us through the dark times and remind everyone that teaching is a fantastic career.

Start the day on a positive note

A good start to the day will help create a positive frame of mind for the challenges ahead. Why not allow yourself five or ten minutes to speak to a colleague about an interest outside of work, or sit with the children at Breakfast Club and discuss what they did the evening before. Take your mind off the day ahead for a few moments to allow breathing space before your focus is diluted to your class.

Add something new to your lessons

I challenge you to add a new idea or activity to each of your lessons. Try something new that you would not normally teach to help keep not only the children but also yourself engaged. Why not end a measuring lesson with a long jump competition? Or play battleships when teaching co-ordinates.

Take pride in your job list

A long ‘to-do’ list can be monotonous and draining. Many of us will cross off each task as we complete them. Yet it will aid your positive frame of mind if you highlight in green those tasks you have completed. An alternative could be to write on a separate sheet what you have finished and as the list grows you will become increasingly proud of what you have achieved.

Allow time for yourself

It is easy to get into a routine of leaving school, having dinner and then working until bedtime. It is essential that you allow yourself time to pursue a hobby. Activities such as running and drawing are particularly good for taking your mind off things. It may only be for a short period of time but will help you in the long run. My freedom comes through writing.

Surround yourself with radiators

I mentioned it in a previous blog but believe it is so critical to positive wellbeing. Inside and outside of school ensure you surround yourself with positive people. Avoid being lured into the negative conversations that dampen the spirits of everyone.

This is a re-blog post originally posted by @chrisbourne2win and published with kind permission.

The original post can be found here.Click here to see all posts by @chrisbourne2win