relationships, good leadership and a system that supports them
The summer break offers teachers something in short supply during term time: downtime. Our research explores the factors important for teachers’ wellbeing. For many, summer is an essential opportunity to recover from the exhaustion accumulated across the year. There is time to sleep properly, reconnect with family and step away from the constant decision-making that school life demands. However, mentioning summer holidays to non-teachers can provoke strong reactions. We recently carried out research analysing social media commentary on reports of teacher stress. The dominant online discourse was that teachers “have it so easy” and are a pampered bunch. “Burnout from what exactly? A few tough days with 30 kids and a whiteboard?” But this bears little resemblance to the lived reality of teaching. Teaching is hugely emotionally demanding. Many teachers across Ireland and the UK report high rates of stress, burnout and intentions to leave the profession. Teachers do more than teach. They plan learning and assessment, manage classrooms that are growing more complex in terms of needs and student support, care for pupils’ emotional …
