3 Ways for Teachers to Minimise Stress and Stay Healthy this School year.

In my first teaching position at the Bavarian International School in Munich I was fortunate to have a principal who understood the enormous and often unnoticed daily stresses that a teacher faces. One particularly good piece of advice he gave me was to take a “golden moment” each and every school day. Such moments can be a stroll around the school grounds on a free period, a cup of coffee on a bench outside or any other reflective exercise. The idea is that you take a moment to pause from the hectic pace and continuous noise of the schoolhouse to still your mind and return to the classroom calm, focused and with a clear vision of your objectives. It remains the best piece of advice I have received as an educator. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you take a golden moment each day at school to take stock of where you are and where you are going. It will result in more mindful practice.

A less noticeable way in which stress can affect your well-being is negativity in the staffroom. The staffroom should be a place of welcome respite for you between lessons, on breaks or during free periods. When you are there you want to have a coffee, chat with colleagues and collaborate or work independently in an informal environment. Of course you will sometimes hear teachers complain about incidents of negative behaviour that have occurred in their classrooms. This can be a healthy means of venting and receiving support from colleagues. As stated, teaching is the most stressful position out there and who better to understand that stress than your colleagues. However, it is not uncommon to have continuously negative colleagues who are capable of generating a toxic staffroom atmosphere by constantly broadcasting the faults of their students. These teachers are actually staffroom bullies. They want every teacher to know that student X is trouble and needs careful attention. Some fellow teachers will, consciously or subconsciously, heed these warnings and preempt any unwanted behaviour in their classes by student X by tweaking their seating arrangements to keep a firm eye on him. When he breaks any rule he is dealt with unmercifully and so begins that process of labelling him. It is a process that can destroy his academic career and social development. Equally, it is a process that can cause you anxiety and fear of conflict with your colleagues.

It is of course natural to want to avoid dealing with these negative staff-members. If they are so insecure as to routinely defame their students, they will think nothing of turning their bullying tactics on you once your leave the staffroom. However, if you wish to continue to enjoy the company of the rest of your workmates sooner or later it will be necessary to deal with the negative teachers. If you do engage them, do not invite conflict. Engage them with empathy and positivity. Remember, any teachers who are having continuous conflict with students are most likely insecure in their practice or in some other aspect of their personal lives. Though it is a thoroughly negative means of drawing attention to deeper problems, this constant giving out is, in its own way, most likely a cry for help.

A good way to deal with such teachers is to not allow them to make their criticisms personal. Draw the focus away from the child and instead identify with the teacher what the behavioural issue is and what is a reasonable solution. So instead of saying “Mike is just an annoying kid”, which enables the negative teacher, ask “How can we get Mike on the right track?” Keep responding only in this tone and turn the teacher’s negativity into productivity. This forces the negative teacher to change his attitude and it also ensures that the staffroom remains a stress-free place where all teachers can relax during their hard-earned breaks.

Teaching takes a massive toll on your physical well-being. However, teachers too often neglect to properly look after their health. It is common to hear some version of “I haven’t eaten today”, “I am so dehydrated”, “I need a coffee-fix fast” or “sleep is overrated”. Particularly around the Halloween Mid-term break teachers begin to wilt due to a combination of stress, not looking after their physical well-being and the change in season. Here are some simple steps to avoid getting ill and to stay relaxed during the coming school year:

As you begin the new academic year please be aware that you are in a profession that is hugely rewarding and important but also stressful. In order to minimise stress and be the best teacher you can be for your students write a stress-management contract for yourself. Promise that this year you will take a golden moment each day, you will avoid negativity and you will commit to practical and manageable activities to maintain your physical health.

Importantly, if you are worried that you are becoming burned out please do not hesitate to seek professional help.

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