Welcome to The Flourishing Teacher’s Field Guide! It’s time to put down the markers and pick up some great strategies for living better as a thriving teacher.

Our focus in this issue is on how important it is for teachers to develop strategies for their professional wellbeing, and why achieving that sense of agency can be tricky.

Let’s jump in…

Professional Wellbeing Isn’t Easy

Most of the time, I write about how teachers can safeguard and develop their own emotional health, mostly away from the classroom.

And that’s a crucial aspect of avoiding burnout.

But I also think that part of taking responsibility for our holistic health means recognising the agency we have in the workplace and then building strategies to incorporate that sense of professional ownership into our wider approach to wellbeing.

Now, if you’re anything like the teacher I used to be, you might be feeling a bit like a cog in a machine, not really empowered to make changes in the workplace.

I certainly felt like that, even as a member of SLT.

It was as though the culture of my school, which, after all, was the sum total of every action of every member of staff, was intangible. It didn’t seem to matter how much I wished for a greater say in workplace culture, nothing much seemed to change.

And I think that’s largely because when we wish without taking action, not a lot happens.

Ultimately I came to realise that taking responsibility for my workplace wellbeing would only really happen if I took some ownership for boosting the wellbeing of my teaching colleagues too.

But no teacher is an island.

Pretty soon I realised that making tangible change needs a community.

Why?

Because change only comes with agency. With ownership of the solutions. And much as I would have wanted to back then, the whole point is that you can’t create an ethos alone.

You need to give everyone a voice.

5 Ways To Get The Best From Your Teaching Community

So, teachers need to have agency in order to tangibly change the ethos of their school communities to one that celebrates and supports wellbeing.

That sounds like a really complicated, distant and unachievable goal.

Where do we start?

First of all, let’s define the term ‘agency’. I think of it as…

It’s the feeling of freedom you have when you’re trusted with the responsibility and resources to do something well.

And of course, schools are regimented, structured places, often for good reason. It’s hard to see how we have much control outside of the lessons we teach (and even then, not always).

To gain agency over our wellbeing, we need to create the conditions that allow us to act.

So, the question is… how can schools create those conditions?

In 2018, Barry Schon, a US high school principal, came up with five conditions that he believed needed to be in place for teachers to have a genuine shot at achieving a sense of agency, which he felt, in turn, promoted emotional health and wellbeing in staff.

They were…

1. A culture which promotes risk and autonomy

2. Judgement and control over our own work as teachers

3. Psychological safety

4. Teacher voice

5. Collective vision

They feel like pretty great places to start. A framework for building a community of mutual support and wellbeing…

First Steps

If Schon’s conditions seem like the right way to go, but a long way from the way your school operates right now, then my feeling is that micro-actions might be the answer.

Start by taking personal, individual steps under all five headings.

Start by bringing that sense of agency to life for yourself.

Start by being the change in your school community.

Here are some suggestions for how to start prioritising a wellbeing culture among your colleagues.

A Culture Which Promotes Risk And Autonomy

I work in a pretty risk-averse education system, so I’m not advocating risks with negative associations. I see risk as the opportunity to try and fail in a safe, supportive environment. So, try a new teaching tactic or approach, even if it might not work. Share it with your colleagues and empower them to do the same.

Establish a staff club or activity based around sharing something you enjoy. The worst that can happen is that no one else comes - but at least you tried. Some people might come and enjoy it. Even better, some people might be empowered to start doing their own thing, and pretty soon, the whole school’s buzzing with staff sharing their passions.

Decide to do something different. Change the staff room for the better somehow, leave positive messages on the noticeboards, praise the people and things that go overlooked. Don’t be afraid to do something for and by yourself if you think it sows the seeds of agency.

Judgement And Control Over Our Own Work As Teachers

Depending on the kind of school you work in, these might not always be easy to achieve, but it’s worth trying.

Informal peer observations, community curriculum and topic planning, shared CPD, and even incentives for achievement (not financial, but ones that value respect, innovation, risk-taking and progress) are all worth exploring. In the same vein, perhaps you could find ways to celebrate the work of your colleagues, either small-scale (gift a quiet cupcake to someone awesome one rainy Wednesday) or by organising staff award ceremonies or shared activities.

The smaller you start with this stuff, the bigger you can grow.

Psychological Safety

I think the key here is to contribute to a community in which everyone’s opinions, actions and ambitions are given the respect and validity they deserve. Where those with the most to lose also feel like they have the most to gain. For me, that means taking on a supportive role in the staff room, listening with empathy, avoiding judgment, being consistent and authentic and prioritising emotional honesty.

I want to work in a school where everyone feels safe to voice their opinions, so I try and engineer that environment for everyone around me (and assume that, when my turn comes to speak, those are the conditions that will exist).

Teacher Voice

This, for me, is about parity. It’s about having the confidence to know that my voice is as important as your voice. It’s about robust systems that allow for information and opinion to be passed from the bottom to the top of the chain. Your ideas might not always be taken up, but it’s vital that you know they’ve been heard (and listened to).

If your school doesn’t have an anonymous staff suggestion box, make one. If you feel as though your school should have a staff committee, start one. If you think that there should be a standing item on staff meeting agendas for teachers to voice concerns and celebrate good practice, lobby for it.

It starts with you.

Collective Vision

Powerful communities share a powerful vision, and staff need to be at the centre of the process. That can be from setting or reviewing the vision and values to helping design a library logo or christening a new minibus.

Either way, a staff body that shares a vision for the school’s ethos is likely to be more secure, positive and successful.

Create a staff room ideas board, get your colleagues debating on fun issues, share your ideas about strategy and ask for feedback, bring staff together and organise discussions about the small stuff. What’s the theme for the next charity event? How will the school celebrate a holiday next term?

By building a consensus of collective vision about the small things, you help to empower a community that has the capacity for real growth and wellbeing.

What Are You Waiting For?

We believe that teachers achieve extraordinary things under challenging circumstances and that we all deserve to be valued, supported and celebrated.

That’s what this newsletter is all about.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, why not join the Marigold community? You’ll get weekly strategies for sustaining your wellbeing, avoiding burnout and flourishing as a person, not just a teacher.

And best of all..?

It’s free and always will be.

You can find out more about what to expect in this weekly newsletter here, or just go straight to our sign-up form.

Keep On Being Brilliant!

Every time I meet a new teacher, I’m blown away by their compassion, professionalism, dedication and desire to build a better future for their students.

So, as ever, thank you for being one of the gang.

You might not know it, but out there somewhere is a person who remembers you for everything you gave, even when it was tough. For believing in them, for being patient, and for showing up day after day.

Keep on being brilliant for your learners, but more than that, for yourself.

Don’t forget those five headings for building a community with agency…

Don’t miss next week’s issue, when we’ll explore some brilliant strategies for individual physical wellbeing.

Until then, remember, you’re more than your marking, your lesson observations and your planning.

You’re you. And that’s all you need to be.