Dear Teachers… you’re amazing!

This is a little side project of mine.

I believe the wellbeing of teachers is one of the cornerstones for success of a school.

Since 2012 I have been a governor at the primary school my son attended. I’m passionate about encouraging people to be the best they can be (which is why I do what I do) and teachers are very often the first introduction a child has to aspiration. They fan that first spark and catalyse that child’s effort into success… success being dependent on their starting point.

As a wellbeing coach and a school governor I’m in a unique position. I have a good insight into what life as a teacher is like and I also have the skills to help you to deal with the stresses and strains that go with that life.

Staff workload is the management responsibility of the school leadership team, but however good they may be at this, there will be pressure on staff that can’t be avoided.

I want to counteract that.

I want to focus on what I, and you, CAN do rather than rant about what is beyond my influence.

As a start, I have created a Facebook support group for individuals where we can share wellbeing tools, tips and experiences. Come and join us here.

I also offer workshops for schools as  whole. I delivered an hour long Wellbeing for Teachers Workshop at a staff meeting at my school offering simple, effective tools that you can accommodate into your busy lives to help you feel uplifted, calmer and less stressed.

These techniques take up very little time, just 10 minutes or so, and some of them you could even use with your classes.

Feedback included:

“Mel had obviously thought carefully about us as an audience and was clearly appreciative of how difficult it is to implement some of her ideas. This meant that she suggested realistic activities that do not take up too much time or effort. Thank you, Mel, I really enjoyed your session and am now allowing myself a bit more ‘me’ time plus drinking more water!”

“I feel that everybody at school would benefit from this workshop. Mel has an excellent, understanding presentation style.”

If you work in a primary school in Worcestershire (UK) and you’d be interested in a similar workshop, message me here.

Primary is what I know, so that’s what I offer at the moment. If you’re a secondary teacher and would like to discuss your challenges so I can support you too, I’m all ears. Get in touch here.

Wellbeing for teachers is important to me.

As teachers are people too (!) you will find many of the resources I offer in my Toolbox around getting more out of life will be useful. But I have lots of ideas for teacher-specific resources so watch this space.

Go gently. We need you. x