Seeing red, blowing your top, losing your rag, going off the deep end - whatever you want to call it, losing one’s temper is never a good thing.

Any loss of self-control undermines authority, but in high-pressure situations it’s difficult to keep the rage at bay. Failing to do so may not matter too much if you’re John McEnroe and only have access to a racquet and a few tennis balls, but if you’re Donald Trump and you have access to bigger weapons, it’s a massive concern.

It’s also not ideal for teachers. Every teacher is told from their first training sessions that losing your temper is the last thing you want to do in a classroom - there is good evidence it not only negatively impacts your teaching, but also your health. And yet, a school is an environment that can be uniquely triggering: it’s extremely hard to bottle the rage when so much - workload, accountability, stress, behaviour - is trying to break it out.

It’s even harder amid the current partial closure of schools. The usual challenges have been heightened by emotion and fear as teachers try to offer provision for those still in schools and also teach those out of schools remotely. There was already a serious wellbeing risk that may have led to more teachers being unable to avoid an eruption of anger; in the current situation, it appears less a risk, more an inevitability.

The impact of coronavirus

It won’t just be pupils or colleagues trapped in the fallout. With many teachers working from home, with families struggling to homeschool while holding down jobs, those closest to you may become the target.

We need to be mindful of this. Anger is one of the most basic human emotions; a natural - albeit often unwanted and irrational - feeling that everybody will experience at some time or other.

So there should be no blame towards anyone who struggles to contain their temper. Instead, we should be taking steps to head it off, to turn down the gas and switch a boil to a simmer.

There are things we know make it less likely a teacher will lose their temper: sleep and food are the two main deterrents. Teachers need an opportunity throughout the day to refuel and they need the space to relax and switch off. Remote learning may give rise to 24/7 teaching - that can’t happen, and we need to enforce that it does not happen.

Equally, we need to be clear with teachers that they cannot take on the burden of worrying about vulnerable children into the early hours of the morning - easier said than done, admittedly.

Establishing a good connection with students can provide some protection from the adverse effects of losing your temper. Studies show that students are more forgiving of teachers who lose their temper later in the year than in the first term. It makes sense: the more they get to know you, the more leeway they will give you.

Let’s foreground relationships in this difficult time: however you’re connecting with pupils, make it the priority that you talk to them, not necessarily that you are teaching them.

And finally, as assistant head Mark Roberts says in his cover feature this week, it’s more important than ever that teachers model how to manage stress, anxiety and our tempers. “When we lose it, we let down our pupils … If we can’t model calmness, equanimity and effective management of the triggers that rile us, how can we expect students to?” he asks.

None of this is easy. Teachers are stepping into the unknown and have done so not just willingly, but with enthusiasm. The sense of moral duty powers them, but they need to look after themselves, too. And we all need to help in that process.

So a call to parents: understand what teachers are going through, and understand that they’re doing their best. Be kind to them, for these are difficult times. And to teachers: remember you need to be kind to yourself, too.

@AnnMroz

This article originally appeared in the 27 March 2020 issue under the headline “Avoiding the temper trap is hard, but in these times of crisis, it’s vital”