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Teacher wellbeing
Teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. It is also one of the most tiring. Long days. Big classes. Marking at night. Worrying about students. Always being needed.
Teachers spend so much time looking after others. They often forget to look after themselves. But a tired teacher cannot do their best work. And no one teaches well for forty years without taking care of themselves.
Think honestly about how you are feeling at the moment. Not about your students. About you.
Q3: Have you noticed any of these in the last month? (Tick all that apply)
- If you ticked one or two of these, you are tired — like most teachers in any given month. Small habits will help
- If you ticked three or four, your wellbeing needs attention soon — not in six months, but this week
- If you ticked five or more, please talk to someone you trust this week — a friend, family member, doctor, or trusted colleague
- None of these signs mean you are a bad teacher. They mean you are human, and you are doing a hard job. They are signals, not judgements
Many teachers feel guilty for resting. They think a good teacher should always give more. But this is not true.
When you are well-rested, you are more patient with difficult students. When you are healthy, you have more energy for good lessons. When you have time for your own life, you bring more of yourself to the classroom. Looking after yourself is part of looking after your students.
A teacher who burns out at thirty cannot help students at fifty. Wellbeing is not a reward you earn after years of suffering. It is what allows you to keep teaching, year after year, with care and skill.
It might be lesson planning, a particular class, a colleague’s company, walking to school. There is no wrong answer.
- Losing enjoyment in something you used to love is one of the earliest signs of being too tired — it is your body and mind telling you something
- The thing you stopped enjoying is often the thing you would benefit most from doing again, just for a short time
- Sometimes the answer is not to stop teaching, but to make small changes — a different routine, a kinder boundary, one good habit
- It can help just to name it: “I have stopped enjoying X.” Then you can ask: what is in the way? What might bring it back?
You do not need a holiday or a perfect life to feel better. Small, repeated habits matter most. Pick one. Try it for a week. See what changes.
Do not overthink. The first answer is usually the truest.
| Question | My honest answer |
|---|---|
| What gives me energy at school? | |
| What takes my energy away? | |
| What is one thing I do that I could do less of? | |
| Who at school can I be honest with? | |
| What do I do for myself, just for me? |
- If “what gives me energy?” was hard to answer, that itself is information — it means joy is in short supply right now
- If your “what takes my energy?” list is much longer than your “what gives me energy?” list, you are running on empty
- If you could not name anyone you can be honest with, finding one trusted person is more important than any other change
- “What do I do just for me?” is the question most teachers find hardest. If your answer is “nothing,” this is the place to start
- You are not failing. These questions are hard for almost every teacher
Q6. Watch the video below. Which of the three teachers’ stories do you recognise most?
Host: Wellbeing is not selfish. It is what allows you to keep teaching, year after year. Listen to three teachers. They share what was hurting them, then the small change that helped.
Teacher 1: I was taking work home every night. Marking until eleven. I was tired in the morning, tired with my family, tired in front of my class. I thought that was just being a good teacher.
Teacher 2: I never said no to anything. Extra duties, weekend events, helping every colleague. Then one day I started crying in the staff room. I had nothing left.
Teacher 3: My class of 70 students was very hard. I felt I was failing every day. I never told anyone. I thought a good teacher should be able to manage alone.
Teacher 1: Now I have one rule. I do not take marking home on Friday. The weekend is my time. My family. My rest. My teaching is better on Monday because of it.
Teacher 2: I learned to say, “Let me think about it.” Just that. It gave me time. Now I only say yes to things I can really do well. I am a better colleague, not a worse one.
Teacher 3: I started talking to one other teacher. Just five minutes after school. I told her how I was feeling. She told me the same things were happening to her. We were not failing. We were just human.
Host: Wellbeing is not a big change. It is small habits that protect your energy and remind you that you matter too.
Q7. For each habit, choose where you are now. Be honest — “Will try” is enough.
Just one. Small is good. Specific is better. “I will walk for 10 minutes after school on Tuesday” is better than “I will exercise more.”
- Wellbeing is not selfish — a rested teacher is a better teacher, and you cannot pour from an empty cup
- Tiredness, lost patience, and stopping enjoying things you used to love are signals, not failures — listen to them early
- Small habits matter more than big changes — one stop time, one walk, one honest conversation can shift a whole week
- You are not alone — almost every teacher feels what you feel sometimes, and one trusted colleague can change everything
- Pick one habit. Just one. Start small, start this week, and be kind to yourself when it does not go perfectly
Did this lesson help? Leave a comment to share with other teachers — you might say more than you know.