Finding balance

When the tipping point can often seem so close.

Photo by Deniz Altindas on Unsplash

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This week I have added an ‘article voiceover’ summarising the main points in today’s post, in an effort to make ‘glimmers’ more accessible and inclusive. It does seem to be working on double-speed and the quality is a little grainy, but I would love to hear if this has been a useful addition.

Thoughts and musings

I have said many times, in my previous posts, that teaching truly is a vocation. A commitment to having a positive impact on the many precious lives that walk through our doors over the years we spend in the profession. No wonder then, that teaching comes with its pressures. There are the literal demands, which may be time-sensitive and have an impact on colleagues and stakeholders. Completing planning, creating resources, analysing data, attending meetings, replying to emails, writing reports, attending parent teacher conferences - the list really does go on. However, there are also the emotional pressures. Teaching isn’t a job where you can always leave the day at the door. Being an educator has often been described as also being a counsellor, a mediator, sometimes it even feels like we could join MI5 as our abilities to investigate and get to the root of a problem at playtime really tests our detective skills. So, when we talk about finding balance as a teacher, it really is a complex issue.

I was 3 months into my first teaching post when I experienced my inaugural bout of burnout. It took the form of glandular fever and floored me. My wonderful dad drove the 3 and a half hour journey from the Midlands to the North East, where I had embarked on my ‘NQT year’, bundled me in the car and drove me straight back down the A1. For 3 solid weeks I was overcome by exhaustion. I missed my first Christmas as a teacher, with my Year 1 class and I was utterly miserable about it. When I reflect on the lead-up to this event, the warning signs were clear although I would never have identified them myself. I was doing a 10 hour day in school, followed by a quick dinner and then continued on into the night. I would give myself Saturday off and then be back on it for the whole day Sunday. I would spend hours fretting over my planning, worrying about my data and worrying even more about the children in my care. I actually know what tipped me over the edge, and it is something that as educators I don’t think we can live without but I do think we can change the way we approach and organise. The to-do list.

Oh, the to-do list. It never ends. Literally. It is a stick with which we beat ourselves as we frantically try to organise our tasks and responsibilities. I do think that over the 16 years in which I have been in the profession, we have got better at identifying and understanding the importance of work-life balance and workload. However, I still feel that a portion of this responsibility falls on individual teachers and this can be empowering, if we have the tools to set these boundaries and strive to ‘protect our peace’.

Ideas and practical suggestions

So, what might balance look like for you and how can you strive to create boundaries which protect your time and subsequently, your health? Below are two suggestions which I hope can be actioned with minimal time spent preparing. Think of these more as a shift towards intentionality as you evaluate your current practice for organising your responsibilities and finding strategies that support you in being productive whilst also being protective.

1. Prioritise your physical and emotional health and wellbeing

I think it is important, before I share my ‘ideas and practical suggestions’ to acknowledge the fact that finding balance is a contentious issue in the teaching profession. There are thoughts and recommendations which I list below that may not work for you or might not be applicable to your current setting or stage in your career or personal life. What I would hope is there may be at least one approach which you could possibly adapt or a new expert who you may think that you want to explore, that could support you in your ventures to find a more purposeful equilibrium.

There are some excellent visuals to exemplify how your body will choose its opportunity to rest if this is not something intentionally prioritised. Without a doubt, this is a situation I have found myself in many times and the frustration of the “inconvenient timing”, when exhaustion and illness finally hit, would often make things ten times worse. Over the years, and particularly post-pandemic, the penny finally dropped. The to-do-list really was never going to be completed, I wasn’t able to give my best to the children I was teaching (despite this being my biggest motivator for working so hard) and I didn’t believe I was being the best role model to those who I was in the privileged position to lead.

• So, what can be actioned to support yourself, and your colleagues, in the journey to prioritise self-care?

  • A lot! I would like to share a sample of inspirational voices and practical ideas which I have discovered that may be of use. However, as shared earlier, thankfully there are an abundance of resources out there to support self-care and wellbeing. It would be fantastic if you are able to add to my list of suggestions in the comments.

  • Mo Gawdat. He, in himself, is a resource. What a phenomenal man. If you have not yet discovered Mo, I would encourage you to do so. He short-circuited that ‘voice in my head’ (the one he calls Becky) and helped me to step out of that never-ending cycle of jobs to be done. Mo has written some exceptional books, my favourite being ‘Solve For Happy’ and he also hosts a thought-provoking podcast called Slo Mo, where he literally encourages you to ‘slow down, and listen’. I will add to this list of grounding voices, Mel Robbins. Another bestselling author, also with a weekly podcast, ‘filled with the motivation and tactics you need plus deeply personal stories, relatable topics and tactical, research-backed advice’.

  • Most schools now include staff wellbeing on their School Improvement Plans and many have a representative (or even better a team) who are responsible for developing and implementing ideas and initiatives. Where this can fall short (as I have often seen on social media groups when the subject is raised) is the authenticity and longevity of these ideas. Yes, a ‘duvet day’, ‘Christmas shopping day’, ‘chocolate bar on the desk’ and ‘staff shout outs’ are all fantastic ideas, which are well-intentioned and I am certain work towards raising spirits. However, these may not necessarily create a culture of wellbeing. Again, I do not have a definitive answer to this. However, demonstrating that staff’s time, health and happiness are important, every day, is what I believe should be the aim. Are conversations about inspiring books, podcasts, Instagram accounts, events, apps, YouTube videos (etc.) naturally taking place? Are Leaders walking out of the door at a reasonable time (where possible)? Are “hot spots” identified in advance and the extra time required for these accounted for? It can be a big ship to turn but if it is priority, and everyone is on board, it is possible.

  • Ensure you nurture and spend time on your interests. It can be so easy to cancel plans as the demands of your commitments as an educator increase, particularly as the term gets into full swing. This is where we need to be strict with ourselves. For many of us, our educational ethos is to develop the whole child and to nurture their talents beyond academic success. This sentiment extends to the teacher. It is in these times of engaging with our hobbies where we gain that much-needed rest. A true disconnect. Add these to your organiser (discussed below) as your personal interests are just as important (if not more so) than the plethora of school-related tasks which demand your time. Your future self will thank you for it.

  • Celebrate the whole teacher! This may be in the form of a display in the staffroom or on a shared document, such as a Padlet. Just as we invite our children to share their successes outside of school, it is important to value our lives beyond those of being ‘the Year 5 Teacher’ or ‘the Deputy Head’. Perhaps a hobby, interest or group that one member of staff attends may be of interest to another. Maybe members of the team would like to cheer along the staff member who is completing their 50th Park Run. As with the Sparks, shared in my previous post ‘Leading by example’, staff’s suggestions and achievements can be shared so purposeful conversations go beyond those about education. I am also always a lover of a motivational quote. Choosing one to focus on for the week, perhaps the half-term, for the whole school community demonstrates to our pupils that valuing wellbeing is practised and appreciated by everyone.

2. Find methods of organisation which work for you - and celebrate those wins

My first downfall was the sticky notes. They were everywhere. On the computer, in my academic diary, all over the desk, in my bag and many found their way onto the floor. Someone would pop their head into my classroom with a message of, “don’t forget…” and I would scribble it down. I would suddenly remember a deadline mid-flow, during phonics, and reach for the bright yellow pad. I would tick, cross, draw arrows, scribble out and more often than not, lose, these sticky pieces of despair. The worst was when I would organise them into days and then quickly (as the hours passed through my hands like grains of sand) realise that the tasks were not going to get done today and Monday would move to Tuesday. However, there were already 10 tasks assigned for Tuesday and I now had 15. I was on a treadmill of unreasonable expectations.

Sound familiar? Once again, what I love about the Substack community is the collaborative nature of reading and responding to posts. I have shared some of my ideas for organising your time below, but it would also be fantastic to hear any further examples of what has worked well for you in the comments.

• So, how can tasks be organised to ensure that expectations and timelines are realistic?

  • I have recently listened to a fantastic book, where I was hooked in by the title, for obvious reasons. It is called ‘Do Less’ by Kate Northrup. Just before I launch into how fantastic this book is though, a quick recommendation for audio books. I have taken advantage of some fantastic deals through Audible, where they often offer monthly memberships for 99p, which gets you a book credit. To revisit my first recommendation for prioritising wellbeing, listening to a book in the car on your work commute, or taking one on a mindful walk, is an excellent way to prioritise time you are already spending on an activity. Back to the book! As the title suggests, Kate’s methodology is built on cycles of productivity using these to support work habits. One of my favourite tips of hers is to build your to-do-list across a week, rather than a day. She also references Stephen Covey’s ‘time management matrix’ found in his book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, where he invites you to think of tasks using the following headings:

    • Urgent and important

    • Not urgent and important

    • Urgent and not important

    • Not urgent and not important

  • As educators, I think we can take this a step further and use these titles in combination with our many roles and responsibilities. I have spoken before about my love for Microsoft OneNote (still, sadly not affiliated) where tabs can be created to help with the organisation of different elements of weekly tasks. Personally, I would organise my week as exemplified below:

    

  • What is important to note here is the top tab, ‘To celebrate this week’. All too often, as exemplified in this post, as educators we complete one task and we are on to the next. Once again, to reference our ethos for the children in our care, we are always looking for ways to celebrate and acknowledge their efforts and we should be doing the same for ourselves. I have to thank my mum for this one. She was the one that pulled me off the aforementioned treadmill as I admired my colour-coded, organised and empowering OneNote, only for her to ask, “that’s all great but where do you list all of the things that you have achieved?” It is perhaps the most important tab on there.

  • Having tasks plotted across the week empowers you to be realistic about what you hope to achieve and when. You will know the days when you have your PPA time or a day where staying a little longer after school benefits you. Equally, note the ‘Personal’ tab. Hold yourself to account to attend the gym class, book club, volunteering session, whatever it is which fills your cup. This needs to go in the ‘urgent and important’ section.

  • Hot spots! I spoke about communication being key in my ‘Leading by example’ post. These busy times are often unavoidable but can be planned for in advance. You may want to add a ‘monthly overview’ to your organiser so that you are prepared for when this time is approaching. As a leader, look to alleviate time pressures on staff. Perhaps it is planned in that there will be no staff meeting on a busy week, or there may be ways to utilise your teams to merge classes for a shared experience to give teachers some much-appreciated wriggle room. Time is often the key here and being creative with making more of this is often all that teachers hope for.

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