My BRiTE Toolkit

Date: 27/09/2018 8:26 AM

Module "i": Wellbeing............................................................................................................................... 2

Module "i": Wellbeing
Personal Wellbeing
Strategies I have for taking care of myself.
• I like to cook and eat healthy food, I like walking and playing tennis and I like catching up with
family and friends.
My thoughts on "“I am feeling so stressed out …”"
• I find that you need to prioritise and get done what definitely needs to be done first. I would try to
get a good nights sleep then get up very early the next morning with a fresh outlook.
My top 3 strategies for maintaining my personal wellbeing.
• Eating healthy food that I have made, keeping up my gym membership and playing tennis at the
local tennis club and spending time with family and friends.
Tips
• "Monitor your stress levels and when you notice yourself feeling tense, do something about it, like
exercise or talk to a friend."
• "Look after yourself physically through: A healthy diet

Start the day with a healthy breakfast and prepare nourishing snacks and meals for the school day.

Eat something nutritious at recess and lunch time and have an after school snack to avoid the pre-
dinner cravings.
Stay hydrated throughout the day to keep up your energy for the hard work of teaching.
Poor diet is not only linked to poor physical health but can also negatively affect mood - eating well
will positively contribute to your mood .
If you are teaching about food groups to your students take your own advice and be a positive role
model!
What to avoid? Relying on chocolate, coffee alcohol or other substances for relaxation or relief can
have unintended negative effects!
"
• "Sometimes you just need to take a break, get some rest or do something different and then deal
with what you need to do with a fresh outlook. "
What do the experts say?
• "The KidsMatter program defines mental health in the following ways -

“Mental health is how we think or feel about ourselves and what is going on around us, and how we
cope with the ups and down of life.
Mental health is not mental illness or ‘problems’ or ‘difficulties’. Mental health is part of our overall
sense of wellbeing and includes the positive aspects that create a fulfilling and meaningful life (eg
confidence, optimism, persistence).
Mental health is not about being happy all the time, but being able to manage life’s  challenges
effectively in ways that enable us to live a life we value.” (KidsMatter, 2012, p. 29)
"
• "Work stress is an issue encountered by a substantial number of teachers, particularly pre-service
teachers who lack experience and strategies to cope with unexpected situations and students’
problem behaviours (Capan, 2012; Cefai & Cavioni, 2014).
Stress can be recognised through manifestations such as mental feelings of anxiety, insecurity,
vulnerability and depression, and physical symptoms such as stomach pain, headaches or high
blood pressure (Richards, 2012).
In their relationships with students and colleagues, a (dis)stressed teacher may seem irritated,
impatient and sometimes withdrawn (Richards, 2012).
In order to counteract stress effectively, teachers should be active agents in their personal and
professional wellness and accept that most things in life are transient (Boyd & Eckert, 2002).
Some effective methods to deal with stress reported by 54 Charles Sturt University pre-service
 teachers include communicating with others, self-help, relaxation, recreation, time management
and organisation (Hemmings & Hockley, 2002)."
• "Teaching has been identified by health professionals as a vulnerable occupation that generates a
higher level of burnout than other college-educated jobs (Dworkin, 2009). Within that context,
healthy self-care habits such as diet, exercise, and sleep have been found to provide teachers with
emotional and physical strength (Albrecht, Johns, Mounsteven, & Olorunda, 2009; Curry & O’Brien,
2011; Hemmings & Hockley, 2002). In a national survey of 1,201 K-12 teachers in the United
States, Richards (2012) revealed a number of strategies resilient teachers employed to enhance
their well-being and thus coping capacity, for example, making time for themselves, making time for
recreational activities, socialising with friends, and practising solitude and meditation."
Little wisdoms
• "“It isn’t stress that makes us fall – it’s how we respond to stressful events” – Wayde Goodall. "
My Notepad
• How can teachers support students' mental health?By creating a safe and supportive learning
environment and helping students learn to manage their social and emotional skills so they can
manage their behaviour will help develop students' wellbeing.
• Based on what you’ve seen, how would you explain mental health? Why is promoting
positive mental health important for teachers? Protective factors introduced in early years
regarding positive wellbeing helps shape a persons mental health. Schools are an ideal place for a
teacher or staff to develop protective factors like good health, friendships, safe environment etc...
This forms the foundation to success in school achievement which includes: good behaviour, good
habits, good attendance, positive community and good grades.
• When you get stressed, what do you typically do? What other strategies could you use? I
usually start organising what I need to do early, I'm big on sticky notes to remind me about what I
need to do, go to the library if I need to focus and not be distracted, I like to go for walks, catch up
with family and friends, play tennis, have an early night and get up early so I'm fresh and can think
more clearly.
I could delegate more and not try to do everything myself.
Work-life balance
Strategies I have for maintaining my work-life balance.
• I would set a time limit for work. It maybe that I only work till 10.00pm or I might spend one day of
the weekend working and the other day for something else.
My thoughts on "“All I seem to do is work …”"
• Definitely prioritise, set time limits and I like the idea of not being totally planned and allowing for
improvisation and flexibility in teaching. Sometimes the students come up with a better idea or a
fellow staff member.
My top time management strategies.
• Keep a healthy balance of work and personal life, prioritise, relinquishing some control in the
classroom and allow for more flexibility and improvisation.
What do the experts say?
• "Effective time management strategies have been reported to help teachers maintain a positive
work-life balance (Thieman et al., 2012). In a study of stressors that 135 James Cook University
pre-service teachers faced, Knight, Balatti, Haase, and Henderson (2010) found that poor time
management was a risk factor cited by 12% of the respondents. Curry and O’Brien (2011) present
an analysis of two teachers’ narratives of their first year in the teaching profession. Both exhibited a
high level of stress due to a lack of time for personal and social life and family commitment. As a
result, one teacher gave up and looked for another non-teaching job, while the other teacher
stayed resilient by focusing on her physical and mental wellness and utilising effective time
management strategies such as working smarter and not harder (for example, using time-efficient
practices such as planning or grading during student bookwork time)."
• "It has been acknowledged that a lack of work-life balance can positively result in high work
engagement and strong commitment to the job role, however, the downside is a high degree of
stress and a distinct possibility of attrition (Thieman, Henry, & Kitchel, 2012). Therefore, it is
 important that teachers be able to self-regulate to divide their time evenly between work and life as
those who can strike this balance are more satisfied with their jobs (Jennings, Snowberg, Coccia, &
Greenberg, 2011). Further, separating work from personal life by establishing ‘limits’ (e.g. not
taking work home) is an important protective mechanism that resilient teachers develop to prevent
themselves from being burnt out (Prilik, 2007)."
Little wisdoms
• "Remember Parkinson's Law: work expands to fill the time you make available to it.. "
My Notepad
• Make a ‘note to self’ – what can you learn from Deanna’s story? You cannot control every
variable in the classroom. Try less planning and preparation, relinquishing some control and allow
for more improvisation and flexibility in teaching. Allow for a more student-centred approach.
Maintaining motivation
What motivates people to become teachers and to remain as teachers?
• To help students learn in diverse and interesting ways and to continue this you need to be
reflective, continally learning yourself and be wise with your time.
My thoughts on "“How will I make it to the end of the term?”"
• I would check with a mentor or an experienced teacher that I trusted to make sure I'm on track, not
sweating the small stuff and prepared with appropriate data for writing the reports.
My top 3 ways for maintaining my motivation for teaching.
• Believe in myself and get support if I need it, keep working hard but focus on the important stuff
and even when it's tough, keep positive
Tips
• "Remind yourself about why you chose to become a teacher. Find the everyday experiences that
will remind you of this and help keep you motivated."
• "As you progress into your teaching career you will find more aspects of your work that are
sustaining.  Sometimes new experiences and challenges can provide a good opportunity for
reinvigoration and renewal. Be aware of what sustains your motivation for teaching and make these
experiences part of your work into the future."
Quotes
• "Most teachers I know who have stayed in the profession are really driven to make a difference so
despite the difficulties they have they keep pushing forward"
What do the experts say?
• "There are three main types of motivations that bring teachers to the profession, namely intrinsic
(e.g., perceived teaching ability, perception of intrinsic value of teaching), extrinsic (e.g., job
security, career status) and altruistic reasons (e.g., service-oriented goals, desire to make a social
contribution) (Richardson & Watt, 2006; Watt & Richardson, 2008). In other words, some teachers
are aspired by their inner calling, but for some others this career choice is triggered by convenience
factors (Coetzee, Ebersöhn, & Ferreira, 2013; Mackenzie, 2012). However, teachers who love,
believe in, and respect the students they work with, and take pride in making a difference to their
lives are more likely to stay through the span of their career than those who do not (Cochran-Smith,
2004; Cohen, 2009). Within the context of Australia, Watt and Richardson (2008) found that pre-
service teachers who saw intrinsic rewards in teaching had a high level of planned effort and
planned persistence. In contrast, those who were concerned with extrinsic rewards demonstrated a
low level of professional engagement and perseverance. Indeed, having a clear sense of purpose
is an important coping strategy that assists early career teachers to overcome multiple work-related
stressors (Doney, 2013). Nevertheless, extreme attitudes such as “saving the world” should be
avoided as unrealistic ambition can inevitably lead to burnout (Prilik, 2007, p. 317)."
• "To be emotionally resilient, perfectionism and self-blaming should be reduced and negative
mindsets such as “I can’t do it” or “I can’t be bothered” should be avoided (Bernard, n.d.). Positive
self-talk, together with humour, have been used by new teachers in remote and rural Western
Australian schools use to reduce stress and enhance their coping capacity (Sharplin, O’Neill, &
Chapman, 2011). In a large-scale study of teacher resilience in the United States, Richards (2012)
 found that a number of teachers were able to sustain themselves in the face of adversity by holding
positive attitudes and letting go of things that were out of their control. Likewise, Cohen (2009)
reported that teachers who held positive assumptions about their students and were able to forget
unhappy moments and move forward were more likely to persist and survive in unfavourable
teaching environments."
• "Persistence is believed to be a product of individual teachers’ efforts and their willingness to strive
to survive (Green, Oswald, & Spears, 2007; Gu & Li, 2013). Mackenzie (2012) found that teachers
of children with special educational needs (SEN) found it challenging but despite occasionally
thinking of leaving the job, all the teachers persisted and stayed for 15 years or more. Most
reported a profound commitment to working with SEN children and said that the rewards of the job
were so great they would not want to do anything else. Similarly, in the context of urban American
communities where challenges such as poverty, diversity, and violence dominate, Peterman (2005)
found that graduates were able to persist by using strategies such as getting to know their
students, parents, and colleagues, as well as coming to know themselves better in order to cope
and thrive.
Self-efficacy has been reported to be a major component that predicts teacher resilience (Beltman,
Mansfield, & Price, 2011; Day, 2007; Day & Gu, 2014; Ee & Chang, 2010). In a study in a Midwest
urban school district in the United States where teachers face challenging working conditions (e.g.
overwhelming workloads, challenging students, poor student motivation, lack of administrative
support, and low salaries), it was reported that teachers’ confidence in themselves as teachers
enabled them to overcome obstacles successfully (Waddell, 2007). Gu and Day (2007, p.1312)
explained that in order to rebound from setbacks, teachers need strong self-efficacy beliefs – i.e.
self-confidence in their abilities as a teacher. Their sustained effort and perseverance when faced
with difficulties then actually strengthens their self-efficacy. “In other words, the development of
teachers’ self-efficacy consistently interacts with the growth of their resilient qualities. It is by nature
a dynamic, developmental process—the key characteristic of resilience." (p. 1312)"
Little wisdoms
• ""You may not be able to control someone's negative behaviour, but you can control how long you
participate in it" ~ Danny Lee Silk. "
My Notepad
• What advice do you think Charlie would give beginning teachers?To establish some ground
rules and expectations in the classroom first. This enables the students to relax and learn better
because the teacher has control.