Are your teachers surviving or thriving? We enter the profession to help young people grow and learn, but find ourselves in a system that values compliance over care. Our days are spent prioritising others, leaving us little time to rest and restore. The truth is we nurture the wellbeing of our students, but neglect our own.
By Daniela Falecki, Educator, Speaker & Coach, Teacher Wellbeing
If you want to become the teacher you always dreamed of being, you need to nourish your wellbeing with strategies to help you thrive.
‘I can barely keep my head above water. How could I possibly thrive at work?’ If you’re a teacher, I’ll bet you’re asking yourself this question.
People who thrive at work report less burnout because they can generate resources rather than deplete them. Thriving makes us more likely to experiment with new ideas and seek new ways of working. When people feel energised, they engage in proactive behaviours helping
People who thrive at work report less burnout because they can generate resources rather than deplete them. them better manage daily challenges. Thriving people generally feel they are cocreating their environment, which builds further resources such as high quality connections (Spreitzer, G., et al., 2004). Just as fertiliser enhances the growth and vitality of plants, learning to THRIVE can have the potential to revitalise our passion, resilience and wellbeing at work. It’s not about being perfect or being a machine, its having the social and emotional skills to respect ourselves as a human being not a human doing. This means acting with awareness, compassion and care. In my new book “THRIVE Practical Strategies to nourish Teacher Wellbeing” I share over thirty strategies to help you enjoy your work more.
Each concept represents a key element that, when implemented with intention and purpose, can significantly transform how we think, feel and respond at work. Drawing on science to help us shift the narrative from stress to wellbeing as well as practical strategies to help us do our job well. After all, wellbeing at work is not the sole responsibility of individuals but a shared collective between workplace processes and people. This book is not just a manual of techniques and practices. It is an invitation to embark on a transformative journey — one that encompasses personal growth, professional development and the realisation of you as a human being first and a teacher second.
THRIVE is an acronym that gives us a toolbox of resources to help you feel better and function well at work. This includes:
www.teacher-wellbeing.com.au
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Exploring how we use (T) time
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Observing how we think in our (H) head
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Establishing supportive (R) relationships
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Noticing our positive (I) impact
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Connecting to our (V) values
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Regulating our (E) emotions
TEACHER’S DESK
Term 1, 2024 | school-news.com.au