Teaching is one of the most challenging jobs there is. You make more decisions per minute than a brain surgeon; you have umpteen (often competing) targets and aims you need to consider, and you need to meet the needs of 30+ developing brains all day, every day. It is tough.
I loved my time as a teacher, and I do not doubt that being a teacher has equipped me well for running several successful businesses (even if there were times over the last five years where I was more than tempted to go back full time!). Teaching really is the best job in the world (why else would I have not one but two education-based businesses!) I know how to work independently. I know how to prioritise. I can explain my thinking well. I can juggle umpteen things, and I can even drive for most of the day without a loo break!
But, having a business has taught me things that I wish I had known when I was a teacher.
The Power of Good Enough
As a teacher, I always wanted things to be perfect. My goodness, the amount of hours I put into creating perfection is terrifying! But the thing is, perfection is a fallacy – it does not exist! There is a Swedish and Norwegian word – Lagom. Lagom means just the right amount. This is putting enough effort in for work to be good enough but realising and appreciating that it does not need to be perfect. It is all about balance. Something I do not think I had as a teacher!
No-one Has The Job of Telling You, “Well Done”
But plenty of people think they have the right to tell you that you are not doing enough! The media, parents, management, the council, inspectors… need I go on?! The thing is, there is no one employed to tell you that you are doing a good enough job. No one has it in their job description that they must build you up (crazy when you think of the hours of growth mindset we do with the children!). Instead, it is up to you to have self-belief. To know that you are good at your job. To own that. And, to be frank, the very reason that you worry about this is a demonstration that you are good enough.
If You Are Sick, Allow It
I have no idea how many days I went into school poorly, but I can tell you exactly how many days I took off sick. I have been that teacher who would dive out of the classroom (or swimming pool on one occasion) due to a gastro bug. I was the teacher who would be glad she taught her class some sign-along so I could communicate easier when ill. I was the teacher who would go back into class after breaking bones in school on the same day! And I was not unusual. Every teacher I know works when ill. But the thing is, it takes longer to get better, which means you are more prone to picking up another bug, and that is just rotten. As a company director, if I take time off, no one will cover for me. But by taking time off, I can get better quicker and back to it. The world does not end when a teacher needs to be poorly. A teachers world could end if they do not take proper care of their health.
The Grass Is Not Always Greener
I would often look at other local authorities and even international systems and think they had it sussed so much better than where I was. I would look at how teachers elsewhere in the world could build up personal leave days that they could use during the term, councils who had full days on Friday’s, others who had half days, reminisce about the 5-14 curriculum and more. Now, working with schools across Europe and beyond, I have come to realise every system has its pros and cons; the trick is not getting too caught up in the cons and remembering the positives.
And Finally, Be Kind To Yourself
The chances are you are a teacher because you want to make a real difference in the world – let’s face it, you are not doing it for the great hours, stress-free environment, the pay or the holidays! But with that comes a lot of pressure. So my final tip is to be kind to yourself. Look after yourself. It is only when you are well that you can change the world. Start with you first.
This gorgeous illustration was created by Bryony Date who was inspired by our book, Breaking into the Playground and was the motivation to write this blog.
Check Bryony out on Twitter , Instagram or buy their book to get more inspiration!
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