Teacher wellbeing: What does it mean to me?

On Friday 11th January 2019, I went to see Malala Yousafzai speak at the Barbican as part of a Guardian Live Event. She was superb! Malala Yousafzai – only 21 years old, had the audience enthralled!

She was humble, funny, self -deprecating and most of all passionate and eloquent about education. Every teacher’s dream pupil and her teachers who all sat in the audience must have glowed with pride.

When our students do well – we really do glow with pride as teaching is a vocation and the impact of a good and better teacher cannot be measured and it is a part of our very wellbeing.

Our raison d’etre! Like all jobs that have people involved, whether you are a teacher, doctor, nurse, police officer or social worker, the job continues beyond the realms of work and can be extremely stressful and overwhelming.

I am passionate about wellbeing as an educator! Physical and mental well-being is paramount in any role and particularly in teaching which involves dealing with: 30+ pupils on a daily basis as well as the adults, planning and preparing lessons, rigorously following through safeguarding and social concerns, attending numerous meeting, managing countless emails …all with a smile on your face!

With over 40, 000 teachers leaving the profession in 2016 which comprises 9% of the workforce according to government figures and with mental and physical health issues on the rise-anyone who wants to teach – must try to look after their own mental and physical wellbeing.