Working for the Education Support Partnership, I recognise the need for practical advice for NQTs to help make those first few months (and years) of teaching a little easier.
In line with this and our latest campaign – #NotQuittingTeaching – I wanted to share some highlights from our online self-help tool www.bewellteachwell.org.uk. I hope that this tool and the advice below can help you be at your best as you continue in your NQT year and beyond.
Is teaching the loneliest of jobs
Teaching can simultaneously place you in the centre of a community and on a metaphorical island. Being one of the only adults in a room for much of your day and a figure of authority for so many people is a jaw-dropping responsibility at such an early stage in any career. Remember that no-one can have all of the answers all of the time, and that even teachers need to ask for help sometimes.
We receive around 29,000 calls to our 24/7 helpline each year. About a quarter of these come from teachers in their first five years, many of whom are struggling because they are not sure who to talk to about their problems and are (wrongly) concerned that speaking out might represent a career-limiting move.
We start by “normalising” any negative feelings callers may be experiencing, explaining that many (if not all) new teachers go through exactly the same thing and that the best way forward is to talk.
We discuss who in their school might be able to help. A mentor, a colleague? There is nearly always someone well-placed to give advice and support, or simply just to listen. It sometimes just takes a fresh pair of eyes to see who.
Plan your work/life balance
You will be well used to planning your lessons now, but how often do you plan your own personal work/life balance? The pressures of our 24-hour society make this notoriously difficult and according to findings from the Office of National Statistics, 48 per cent of UK adults report a relatively low satisfaction with their work/life balance.
Given that teachers commonly carry out 20 per cent of their working week (10 hours or more) before school, after 6pm or on weekends, you are at particular risk of having a poor balance. However, before we can make changes to your work/life balance, you need to be clear on how you currently work. It may be that by making small changes you can free up time for other activities.
So try this: start a diary of your activities at school and at home, listing everything you do and how much time you spend on each thing. Include every activity, even those that you may not think of as big tasks: phone calls, photocopying, impromptu meetings with colleagues, etc. You may find it useful to break your work down by structured (teaching time and scheduled non-teaching activities, PPA time, meetings, parent consultations, training) and unstructured work time.
Look back at the diary and ask yourself what patterns you might be able to change. Set yourself specific goals, making sure to write your goals up in a positive way. Goals become easier to accomplish when you focus on the benefit and not the problem. For example, set a time to finish each term night: “I will finish no later than 6pm on weekdays, so that I can exercise and eat properly.”
Set free time on weekends and on some weeknights: “I will take two nights off during the week and have one completely free day during the weekend, so that I can spend time with my family.”
Sleep
While you are planning, make sure that you make time for a good sleep. According to the Great British Sleep Survey, long-term poor sleepers are seven times more likely to feel helpless than good sleepers and five times more likely to feel alone. Bad sleepers are also twice as likely to have relationship problems or suffer daytime fatigue and poor concentration.
So as tempting as it might be to try and get ahead by getting up early to do a couple of hours work before school, working all day then going home to work all evening before starting again the next day – don’t! This approach is not only unsustainable, it is also far from healthy. But what can you do to improve your sleep? Here are a few tips:
- Don’t work in your bedroom. Use a separate room for schoolwork, or if space is an issue, make sure you hide it out of sight during the night (ideally, do your school work at school and leave it there).
- Make sure you have some quiet relaxing time before bed. Even half an hour can make a difference.
- Try not to read late at night on a backlit device. These can have a disruptive impact on sleep patterns.
- Write a list: 82 per cent of respondents to the Great British Sleep Survey in 2012 said that the top thought that kept them awake was “what happened today and what have I got on tomorrow”. Write it down and let it go.
Say ‘no’
One of the key issues we hear from NQTs is that they feel obliged to say “yes” to everything asked of them and often volunteer for extra duties. This is natural as you seek to impress and share your enthusiasm for the new job.
Unfortunately, the additional workload this adds to an already packed schedule can cause problems. To help you to say “no” more often, try:
- Being clear on what you are required to do and what is expected of you.
- Check the staff handbooks and talk to your union.
- Practising “holding messages” – stock phrases such as “can we talk about this later” can be very useful when you are put on the spot – and can ultimately help you say ‘no’ more comfortably.
- Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Education Support Partnership – the new name for the joined forces of the Teacher Support Network, Recourse and Worklife Support.
Further information
- The Education Support Partnership’s support helplines for teachers and other education professionals can be accessed via 08000 562 561 (England) and 08000 855088 (Wales). Visit www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk
- The Education Support Partnership’s #NotQuittingTeaching campaign is seeking to share positive experiences of the profession and advice on how to survive the tough times that many teachers face. Find the hashtag on social media.
NQT Special Edition - November 2015
This article was published in November 2015 as part of SecEd's bi-annual NQT Special Edition, supported by the NASUWT. You can download a free PDF of all eight pages via our Supplements page: http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/supplements/