STRESS

There’s no secret that the education sector has been facing overwhelming pressure and that the mental health and wellbeing of teaching staff and other educators has been stretched. News from the education world is often shrouded in negativity, and with the additional upheaval seen over the last two years, it can feel as if the negatives outweigh the positives. Around 9 in 10 teachers now say work-related stress has had a detrimental impact on their mental health, particularly over the course of the pandemic -  it can feel all too easy to become trapped in a cycle of despondency and pressure. 

Teaching English in a foreign country is likely to be one of the most demanding experiences you'll ever have. It entails relocating to a new country, relocating to a new home, and beginning a new career, all of which are stressful in and of themselves, but now you're doing it all at once. And you'll have to converse in a strange language you may not understand.

'Wellbeing' is a word that has been bandied around for a while with regard to teaching as a profession. It generally stems from the issues that come from teaching being a stressful job. I imagine it has always been so: taking 30 young minds and guiding them (sometimes unwillingly) towards educational enlightenment is stressful. However, when you add the current climate in teaching in our country, “stressful” isn't a strong enough word.

I have spent most of my career encouraging communication and how it is, and always will be, the key to success. To many people this is obvious, though as adults we tend to forget that teenagers prefer to be non-committal and secretive, if not a little uncooperative.

At Bett 2017, the focus will be on education game changers, with sessions and discussions exploring how educators from across the world can help transform the future of education. Collaboration is key. After all, no one understands the sector and what schools need more than the people who work in them: the headteachers, senior leadership teams, classroom teachers and reception staff. These are the people who experience and witness first-hand the challenges within schools on any given day.

GCSE and A Level students are escaping the stress during exam season armed with felt tips, pencils and crayons thanks to a new initiative by Alder Grange School in Lancashire

Pupils are stressed. The Chief Medical Officer’s Report of 2012 found that:

  • Self-harm rates have increased sharply over the past decade.
  • Peak onset of mental ill health is 8 to 15 years.
  • 10% of children have a mental health issue.

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