A Teacher Wellbeing Oath

What will you do to save your teacher sanity and wellbeing?

One half term down, five to go. It’s time to reflect and look towards the rest of the year ahead and consider how you will make it to July with your sanity and work-life balance in tact. 

Although there is much workload sent down from on high, there are small things that you can consider in order to ensure your year is as productive as possible, to keep yourself healthy. Make yourself a Teacher Wellbeing Oath.

This half term I will …

1. Not sit idle in staff meetings. I promise to politely and constructively challenge any extra workload that does not seem to be beneficial to our pupils.
2. Tackle problems with solutions, endeavouring to be a solution driven person, adding further to work place productivity and saving time in the process.
3. However busy I am, I will put student wellbeing at the heart of my pedagogy. I will listen to their concerns (however trivial) and reassure them.
4. Put on my life jacket first. I will ensure that I am fit and well enough both mentally and physically to support the students in my care effectively.
5. Seek support when work-life balance is not balanced resulting in work related stress or similar. I will get support or make a change before the issue becomes serious.
6. Remember that children are children and inject elements of fun into this curriculum (albeit controlled fun!).
7. Remember that parents do not always have the skills to support their children emotionally or with basic life skills. Although many of these areas fall outside of my remit, I will support where appropriate.
8. Fight for extra support for those who need it in class, evidencing issues, getting parents on side and badgering SLT and the SENDCo if a child falls into an SEND category – and is not receiving the help they need.
9. Challenge my 24/7 availability by text and email outside of work hours by having work communication free times and not responding quickly or at all to things that can wait until the morning.
10. Remember that lessons that take longer to plan than to teach, are generally not worth the effort.
11. Take on board constructive constructive feedback and dismiss feedback which had poor delivery, or was not useful to my development as a professional.
12. Continue to take the time to do things I enjoy and plan weekends weekends away, spa trips and nights in the pub without feeling guilty.
13. Look after my colleagues, check for signs of stress or burnout and support those who need it.

These are the foundations to a happy academic year! Feel free to add anything you would add in your oath in the comments box. Have fun and remember – ultimately, it’s just a job.