Easing Covid Concerns in schools - One example

I have been teaching since 2004 and love the sector. Making a difference is who I am (picture it written through my middle like a stick of rock) and so it was always the perfect fit for me and my values. 

However, after my Son was born with a rare condition and high-level additional needs, full time teaching was no longer an option and so I now teach two days a week alongside the Mindset Management business I founded. 

Having been on my own mental health journey in the past, it felt like a natural progression to take my knowledge and skills back into schools to support staff with the challenges I know and understand so well. 

Teaching has always been so much more than academics and teachers have always had a vital role to play in the social, emotional, psychological and practical development of students but never, EVER, has this been more challenging than through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suddenly, staff who were usually so well placed to support the emotional needs of their students were struggling to deal with their own anxieties first. The line between home and school blurred as staff home schooled their own children and dealt with the social, health and financial issues that COVID created as well as considering the needs of their class and colleagues. 

The summer lockdown created an isolation in which some thrived but most struggled and the news that schools were to reopen in September 2020 came as bittersweet news to some staff who had previously looked forward to the fresh start of a new academic year but now felt unsafe outside of their own home. 

One school, well aware that many of their staff were struggling with the challenges of their own situations as well as the anxiety of COVID transmission and risks of returning to work, got in touch with me to see if I could provide some reassurance for them. 

I delivered a half day workshop during the September Inset day. 

Initially, 33% of staff reported feeling confident about the return to school. Just 33% of a previously high vibe, energetic and successful team were happy to return. Together (and I say together because without people investing the time to consider and practice what I share, it just doesn’t work) we discussed a variety of aspects surrounding the current climate and looked at some simple yet highly effective strategies for managing thoughts and emotions.

As you can see for yourself in the video below, the feedback was fantastic and what I loved most was that, despite the training being aimed at staff wellbeing, they were quickly seeing how the strategies were transferrable to supporting the students. They were back in the zone of making a difference.

Happy staff = Pupil progress! 

By the end of the session, 95% of staff reported feeling confident about returning to school - almost treble the number of staff from the start of the day. 

Six months on, I was interested to know whether the session had still made an impact.

The School Principle was in no doubt “It can be really hard to address the needs of everyone individually” she told me “but your session gave a self-regulation, self-care tool kit for people to draw on and its definitely something that still benefits the staff today” 

As a teacher, charity founder and special needs Mum I know that giving your best starts with being your best and it’s my mission and privilege to help people recognise and develop the brilliance they already have so that they are capable of achieving everything they are capable of. 

If you want to chat about how I can make that happen for your team, please drop me an email at [email protected]