What needs to change in education for teachers?

Frustratingly, there’s only so much we as teachers can do about the uncontrollable things like teacher workload, expectations & pay.

Teachers don’t have the power to change the system but do have the power to change the ways of coping within the system.

So what can we actually do?

What can teachers do to manage their work life better?

Here are 4 things that helped me.

Confidence to talk

Have the confidence to tell people you work with that you may be struggling. This is something that may not be easy at first but being open and honest means you are authentic and you are showing you are human. 

Start by talking to one person then slowly build to the rest of your team.

Delegate

When it comes to delegating, you have to be okay with giving work to someone else to do. Delegating can be difficult because we all have our different ways of doing things but part of the skill is accepting that and letting go. 

Start by mapping out your work and you will be able to see the things you are okay about someone else helping you with.

Clear boundaries 

Be really clear on boundaries. The moment your boundaries start slipping, you start to lose control. Be strict with yourself on timings, how much work you will take home and extra work you take on.

Start by setting yourself a time to leave school by and a limit to how much time you will spend on a piece of work.

Look after yourself 

Listen to your body. If you are not feeling well then you are in your right to call in sick. Teachers have this incredible guilt so end up coming in when they are unwell and can make things worse. The same goes for your mental state. If you are struggling, then talk to your head teacher - they don’t know unless you tell them!

26th July 2024