Many teachers limp towards autumn half-term ready for a good rest, only to find that they end up with an enforced one in bed. If, like me, you have become one of those people who succumbs to a virus every time there is even the slightest whiff of a work break, it’s such a disappointment. Instead of doing all those wonderful things you promised yourself you’d do to relax, you find yourself spending your well-earned week off in the company of a hot water bottle and plenty of tissues before returning to work not even a little bit reinvigorated.
I know dozens of people like me - and almost all of them are committed teachers and education leaders.
This week, I caught up with one of my oldest friends, who, in the eyes of many, was always destined to be a teacher. Now, a few years into the job, he is taking responsibility for large year groups, running after-school clubs and has become one of those teachers students immediately trust and turn to. By his own admission, he is almost always one of the first in school and among the last to leave. He really loves his work.
My worry is that all this is already taking its toll. In between explaining a complicated maths problem using three glasses, two cups, salt and pepper shakers and a water bottle (don’t ask, I still have no idea), he mentioned, in pretty short succession, regular headaches, insomnia and a variety of non-life-threatening illnesses that had him feeling unwell for about six weeks - half of that during the summer holiday.
It strikes me that many of us have become so preoccupied with just getting things done - working through the to-do list, helping out colleagues, struggling through piles of paperwork - that making sure it doesn’t all get a bit too much takes a back seat. In the interest of health - both physical and mental - it is worth thinking about things that we can do that can lighten that load, or at least make it more bearable.
A rather successful friend asked me the other day what “one kind thing” I was going to do to make my day better. I was a bit baffled, and ended up committing to an extra Kinder chocolate bar after dinner. I am not sure that is what he meant. He does have a point, though.
Last weekend, Mark Beetlestone wrote for Tes about the importance of kindness in college classrooms. “Students being supportive, kind and respectful to each other should be a major factor in their life at college,” he wrote. “This community begins with their teacher and should flow through their experience at their place of study. Be kind to your students, and they will be kind to you.”
And last year, Boston College principal Jo Maher talked about the impact that the busy autumn has on teachers - and how important it is to look after one another’s welfare. “I think it is important at this time of year to know who we need to check in with and where the best place to do it is, to ensure we get the real answer as to how they are doing, not a polite retort,” she said.
Trying to bring a bit of kindness into work is not the only thing we can do to take better care of ourselves. Only a few days ago, former US first lady Michelle Obama posted a picture of herself at the gym, urging people to take care of themselves with regular exercise.
We all also know that plenty of sleep, eating healthily, spending time with family and friends and hobbies help our wellbeing.
Fitting all of that in, I know, is easier said than done. But we might all be able to pick that “one kind thing” that we are able to focus on a little bit more over the coming week. And maybe that way, we can push off that autumn cold until the Christmas holidays.
@JBelgutay
This article originally appeared in the 25 Month 2019 issue under the headline “How can you avoid burnout? By being a bit kinder to yourself”
