Two stories led me to creating this stressbuster.
Story 1.
After just one year of teaching a very talented music teacher friend of mine tossed it all in and went off to do ‘other things’. At his farewell morning tea I had a quiet word to him and asked, ‘So mate, what led you to make this call?’
‘Look around this room Adrian,’ he said, ‘look at their faces, there is not a happy soul among them and I feel like I’m turning into one of them. I don’t want that for myself or my family.’
I must agree, I felt pretty much the same as him at the time.
Story 2.
A couple of months back I had dinner with a couple of second year Uni students after they had just finished their prac experience. As the wine flowed they recounted their experiences in staffrooms and how they found them such depressing places.
So are you one of the people who contribute to a toxic workplace, or are you one of the few who make the work environment a great place to educate and celebrate learning?
Adrian, this is such a clever stressbuster!
I can really relate to this as, after 5 years as a primary teacher, I left the profession and did “other things” for four years. Funnily enough though, I returned as I missed the students and working in a school environment. For me, it was *the* best I could have done. I came back with renewed enthusiasm and a new attitude. I have loved the roles and schools that I’ve worked at since then. One of the most challenging things I find is staying positive and keeping away from those “toxic” people. If you’re not careful, they will drain every last bit of enthusiasm from you! I have learnt to “run” when they come near me!
I think this is my new favourite Stressbuster! I came to teaching later in life and can attest that there are toxic people in all the work environments I have worked in, but none the less I think it is really important to question this condition. When the whining starts to overwhelm the celebrating a work environment ceases to be productive and inspirational, but too often we assume that’s “just the way it is” rather than assessing what can be done to improve staff morale. Employers need to remember that their staff are their greatest asset, particularly in service careers such as teaching, but we as staff also need to take some responsibility for our attitudes and how we support and encourage our colleages. My first step: print out and pin up some Stressbusters in the staff room!
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