Five Signs That You Are Thriving in Teaching
Check out how happy and healthy you could be when you do these 5 things
Sometimes surviving in teaching can feel like a tall order, let alone thriving! However, there are so many brilliant aspects to the job that really, there is great capacity to be happy, healthy and thriving in the job too. Consider the following 5 signs: how many are you currently hitting?
Read on through to the end to discover a freebie that will help you to start thriving in teaching in no time.
1) You have realistic expectations
You recognise the current state of teaching: it’s a pretty impossible job at times. The to-do list is long, the classes are large, the students needs are high and that’s before you even hit the paperwork trail.
Nevertheless, you acknowledge that there is only so much that you can do and you choose to do that to the best of your ability. You have clear mental boundaries: you know how much you can do in a day and you celebrate and reward yourself for that rather than focussing on the undone area of your list.
2) You understand that your capacity does not reflect your capability
Similar to having realistic expectations, you acknowledge that you are a super duper teacher, despite what is left undone at the end of the day, week or even term.
Your capacity for work does not affect your capability for doing the job.
These may begin with the same letter but they are very different beasts!
Imagine you have a 1 litre Pyrex jug. The fact that the jug has a capacity for holding 1 litre of fluid does not affect its ability to hold fluid at all. It simply reflects how much fluid it can hold.
Likewise you have a capacity for how much work you can do. You have a capacity for how much mental stamina you can give to teaching. You have a capacity for how much compassion you can give. You will be brilliant at doing your job within your capacity.
Alongside this, you’ll also be aware that you capacity isn’t static. Some days, you will have a greater capacity than others (Friday afternoons definitely spring to mind here!).
3) You can confidently say no
Whenever you’re at capacity or someone asks something of you that isn’t in your zone of genius, you can say no. You don’t over worry about what the other person might think. You don’t fret that you should be more amenable. You know what your priorities are for you and your students and you stick to them.
Simple.
4) You acknowledge that you can only pour from a full cup
Being a human being has its limitations. Unfortunately, you’re not Wonder Woman and you can’t do absolutely anything and everything that is asked of you.
Nevertheless, you don’t let stop you!
You acknowledge that you’re like a rechargeable battery. Events, activities, tasks and people will drain you. You know that you need to make time to recharge.
You know that you can only pour from a full cup so you prioritise your non-negotiables so that you can keep filling your cup so you can be there for when others need you.
Most significantly, you know that your students thrive when you thrive. So, it is your professional duty to prioritise your own wellbeing so you can be the best version of yourself consistently for them.
5) You enjoy clear boundaries
You recognise that you are a human being first and a teacher second. You care about teaching but you don’t let it take over all areas of your life.
You’re able to switch off at the end of the day and enjoy well-deserved time to yourself or with family and friends.
You put firm physical boundaries around how much time you will spend on school work outside of the school day.
You choose to live and enjoy life throughout the term rather than waiting for half term to arrive.
You have boundaries.
How did you fare on the signs that you’re thriving in teaching? 3 out of 5? Few more? Few less? Wherever you are on the scale, there are always steps that you can take to prioritise your own wellbeing so that you can thrive in teaching. Check out this FREE resource to discover more about the boundaries you need to thrive in teaching and 4 steps you can take today to put them in place.
Gemma Drinkall is an Educational Wellbeing Coach dedicated to helping middle leaders in education to create clear boundaries so that they can thrive in teaching. Find out more about her work here.