Teachers don’t have to have yearly MOTs, but they probably should.

Three terms of long days (and nights) and relentless pressure can leave you feeling as if your battery has been drained and your head gasket is kaput.

So it’s time for a service. Take our quiz to see what shape your engine is in... 

1. At 10am on a school day, you’re usually feeling…

A. Ready for a nap!

B. Like you’re due a cup of coffee.

C. Totally alert and at your best.
 

2. When you get ill, it’s…

A. When?! It’s constant! A streaming nose and sore throat are just part of your look now.

B. The occasional mouth ulcer and headaches.

C, Unheard of! You only have tissues to hand out to other people.

3. If your back could talk it would say…

A. “Why, why, why do you do this to me?”

B. “When will you start bending with your knees?”

C. “Cheers for all the yoga and standing up straight!”

4. You last went for an eye test…

A. With the school nurse, last century. The reading glasses you got from the pound shop seem to do the trick.

B. It was while ago, but you’re booked to go again soon.

C, Within the past year. You only get one set of eyes after all!

5. Which statement best describes you?

A. Not yet meeting the dentist.

B. Meeting the expected flossing standard.

C. Brushing to greater depth (but not below the gum line).

6. At the end of a long day, you sit down and…

A. Take off your high heels or ill-fitting shoes, and wince at your feet, which are cramping in contorted agony.

B. Kick off a pair of poorly soled shoes, and give your trotters a rest.

C. Remove your sensible footwear and begin your pedicure routine. No ingrown toenails here!

Check your score: Mostly As

You’re most definitely not passing this year’s MOT. Your gearbox is grinding, and your fuel tank is dangerously low. Now is the time to address all the parts of you that you’ve neglected this academic year.

Block off a week of the summer break and book appointments with the optician, podiatrist, doctor, dentist and anyone else you’ve missed. Remember, you have to look after yourself before you can look after others.

Mostly Bs

A good mechanic would be tilting their head and recommending that you get a few things fixed. You are definitely at risk of failing, if not now, sometime soon. So best get in some pre-emptive strikes.

Make sure you’re eating healthily. Try boosting your immune system by upping your sleep. Treat your back to a trip to the osteopath, or try some yoga to loosen yourself up after being cramped over a desk. 

Mostly Cs

You have passed your wellbeing MOT with flying colours. Well done for looking after yourself. Now keep it up!