The Pursuit of Wellbeing

The Power of Flexible Working with Lucy Rose

Lucy Rose co-founded "Flexible Teacher Talent" with Lindsay Patience.

They are passionate about normalising flexible working in schools in order to retain effective teachers and leaders.

In this insightful and practical episode, Lindsay talks about:

• The "Motherhood Penalty";
• What schools can do to stop haemorrhaging great staff;
• The one simple thing a Headteacher can do when considering flexible teaching;
• The three things that stop Headteachers from allowing flexibility and how to address each of them;
• The biggest thing that affects whether a school will take on flexibility or not;
• Key things to consider when working flexibly;
• And much more!

Lucy joined the profession as an early Teach First participant in 2004 and progressed to Assistant Headteacher. She is currently teaching English part-time in a London comprehensive school and has undertaken research on flexible working as part of the Teach First Innovation Series.  

You can connect with Lucy and Flexible Teacher Talent

On Twitter @FlexTeachTalent 

@LuceAssociation  (Lucy) 

@MumsyMe (Lindsay)

Their website www.flexibleteachertalent.co.uk

Other people and organisations Lucy mentioned in this episode are:

Emma Shepherd Maternity Teacher, Paternity Teacher

Maternity Teacher @maternityCPD

The Shared Headship Network 

John Taylor Free School in Bolton Head Teacher Sue Plant, pioneer of flexible working.

NFER Research

Capability Jane Guide to Job Sharing at a Senior Level

EdVal Timetabling software

You can connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan

On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan

Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.

And Maria's new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

 

Coping in a Crisis with Simon Ward

Simon Ward is a Senior Educational Psychologist in the Wirral in the North of  England, where his specialism is positive psychology and wellbeing. 

In this practical and fascinating episode, Simon shares key insights into: 

• What "Positive Psychology" is;
• How can we use Positive Psychology to create frameworks for wellbeing in school;
• He shares the PERMA framework developed by Martin Seligman:
  • Positive emotions - are the driving force behind wellbeing e.g. curiosity, contentment, happiness, joy.
  • Engagement - feeling good, doing well, engagement with the world.
  • Relationships - prioritising human relationships.
  • Meaning and Purpose within a social context. 
  • Accomplishment - the biological imperative to grow and develop in all areas of life.
• Ways to use PERMA personally or for a whole school setting;
• Coping in a crisis, in reaction to the current situation;
• The importance of negative emotions and the danger of 'Toxic Positivity' (and what to do about it);
• The 3 things that make stress and anxiety worse (and how most educators are experiencing all 3) and simple tips to deal with them;
• The HOPE framework and rituals that support Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences. Simon outlines the experiences that all children need in order to nourish their wellbeing:
  1. Nourishing, supportive, nurturing relationships. Schools are already fantastic at this, so focus on creating opportunities for them to be further developed. 
  2. Having safe, stable environments in which to learn, play and develop. 
  3. Opportunities for making meaning. Community rituals create a sense of value that 'we’re going somewhere and you’re part of it'. 
  4. Social and emotional - an issue of skills development.
• A social approach to mental health rather than a medical one;
• And much more.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of the characteristics and processes that contribute to flourishing in individuals, organisations and communities. It is an applied approach that is focused on achieving high performance and enhancing well-being through harnessing strengths, doing more of what works and building on success. It is the study of people at their best.

You can connect with Simon

Via email: simon_p_ward@hotmail.com

Learn more about the work of Martin Seligman and Positive Psychology at the website www.positivepsychology.com

You can connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan

On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan

Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.

And Maria's new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

 

Safeguarding in the New Normal with Louis Donald

"We need to recognise that good safeguarding within schools is when schools have a really, really effective culture of safeguarding and vigilance. This is the job of everyone."

Louis Donald is Director of Safeguarding at Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust, leading safeguarding across nine schools and six Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) settings. 

Louis supported the work of the Department for Education (DfE) throughout the COVID19 Pandemic, advising on the impact and effectiveness of the Government safeguarding strategy.

In this episode, Louis shares his insights into safeguarding in the "new normal." 

• What has changed in safeguarding as a result of the pandemic?
• What are the biggest safeguarding challenges across the community now, for the child, family, school, Multi Academy Trust or other agencies?
• Working relationships with multi-agency partners have never been stronger, but how do we deal with the added pressures this puts on the pastoral team in school?
• The role of formal and informal supervision in supporting staff after dealing with distressing incidents;
• Balancing compliance requirements and staff needs;
• The vital role of "context" in dealing with safeguarding issues, and the work of Dr Carlene Firmin MBE;
• Leading safeguarding systems (in preparation for Ofsted);
• And much more.

You can connect with Louis

On Twitter @Ldonald_DSL

On LinkedIn Louis Donald 

His podcast and website www.safeguardingdays.co.uk

You can watch Dr Carlene Firmin's TED talk here

You can connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan

On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan

Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.

And Maria's new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

 

A New Vision for Bold Leaders with Ruth Davies

"Do we ever need to return to the way things were? Could this not be an opportunity for us to come together as a single team and to properly consider what it actually takes for a school to progress and develop?"

Ruth Davies is the President of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) and the headteacher of Waunarlwydd Primary school in Wales.

In this powerful and wide-ranging episode, Ruth shares her thoughts on:

• What this period of crisis has taught us;
• How leaders can take care of their own wellbeing;
• The hidden threat in high stakes accountability measures;
• How to approach the current obsession of 'catching up';
• Why academic achievement shouldn't be the top priority right now;
• A true understanding and appreciation of what schools are really about;
• Why it's critical to develop confidence as a school leader;
• The biggest challenge to school leaders;
• And so much more! 

You can connect with Ruth

On Twitter @lindseyruthd

The NAHT website is www.naht.org.uk

You can connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan
On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan
Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.
And her new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

 

Supporting Educators with Sinead McBrearty

"I believe there are some things (we can do) that would make a really big difference for the whole workforce."

Sinéad McBrearty is the Chief Executive Officer of Education Support, the only UK charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of education staff in schools, colleges and universities.

In this incredibly insightful conversation, Sinéad paints a picture of where we are now, according to their latest research Teacher Wellbeing Index, 2020.

And she goes into considerable detail of what can be done to improve the education landscape; specifically three things "that would make a really big difference for the whole workforce."

This is definitely an episode not to miss.

You can connect with Sinéad

On Twitter @McBreartySinead

On LinkedIn Sinéad McBrearty

Education Support website is www.educationsupport.org.uk

Education Support free helpline number is 08000 562 561

You can connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan
On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan
Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.
And my new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

** Education Support helps people working in education in three key ways:

1. Supporting individuals, with their free helpline and financial aid.
2. Support in the workplace, with training and facilitated peer support networks.
3. Advocating for improvement, using the data from their annual Teacher Wellbeing Index report to influence policy.

 

Character Matters with Adrian McLean

"In June 2020, I made a #DiverseEd Pledge to continue to help, support and grow the number of Black males (from all denominations of Black) in teaching and Senior Leadership. 

However, 7 months on, the realisation struck me… are we treating the symptom rather than the cause?"

Adrian is a former headteacher and experienced Senior Leader. He currently leads across a Multi-Academy Trust in the West Midlands developing Character Education and Personal Development. 

In this wise and insightful episode, we discuss:

• Why do so few Black teachers (male and female) become school leaders?
• Research shows that at the age of 11, young black boys' results are average or above average. What happens during secondary school that causes these results to plummet?
• How do we break this cycle?
• What's the importance of Character Education and Personal Development?
• Are our school values 'lived' or 'laminated'?
• The power of kindness and appreciating there is only one race - the human race.
• And much more.

Adrian is passionate about representation, ethical leadership and positively disrupting the system. He’s currently reading a Masters in Character Education at the University of Birmingham.

He is a visible role model for a generation of school leaders in his commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

You can connect with Adrian:

On Twitter @Character_guy

His website is Adrian McLean Consultancy 

On LinkedIn at Adrian McLean

You can connect with Maria:
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan
On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan

On Instagram @pursuitwellbeing
Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.
And my new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

Exploring EdTech, Wellbeing and Poetry with Bukky Yusuf

"We need to be having ongoing conversations with openness and a willingness to learn and listen. Then translate that into meaningful, sustainable action."

Bukky Yusuf is a senior leader, science teacher and coach. She’s had a number of leadership roles within mainstream / special schools and is an ambassador for Leadership Matters.

Bukky is a Network Leader and coach with grassroots organisations WomenEd and BAMEed.

In this wonderfully wide-ranging episode, Bukky shares;

• How to use educational technology (ed-tech) to enhance teacher wellbeing
• The most important thing to get right with ed-tech
• Setting your own work-life boundaries
• The work of WomenEd for helping women into leadership roles
• The work of BAMEed in breaking down biases against teachers of ethnic minorities
• The power of poetry, including us sharing 3 beautiful poems
• and much more.

You can connect with Bukky

On Twitter @rondelle10_b
On Instagram @rondelle10_b

On LinkedIn Bukky Yusuf
Her website teachleadco.wordpress.com/

Her YouTube channel is B Yusuf Teach

Other mentions in this episode:

Teacher 5aday

WomenEd

BAMEed Network

Edurio school research home.edurio.com

James @Innerscope1

Poems:

Keep Going L.E. Bowman
Take Time by Liam Porter

For Courage by John O’Donohue

You can connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan
On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan

On Instagram @pursuitwellbeing
Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.
And my new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

 

How to Break the Sleep Stress Cycle with Maria Brosnan

Over half of teachers and school leaders are struggling to get a good night’s sleep, according to the latest Teacher Wellbeing Index research.

This episode is a bit different than normal, as I’m the guest rather than the host!

I recorded it with Caroline from Cornerstones Education for their podcast show, The Curriculum. We talk about a subject very dear to my heart - sleep. 

I hope you find it helpful and as always, please share it with anyone you think might enjoy it or benefit form listening.

Here are some of the areas we discuss:

• Are we in a crisis in terms of teacher and school leaders’ sleep deprivation? Why have things got so bad?
• What do we mean when we talk about a vicious circle of stress, worry and sleep deprivation?
• Can sleep be improved quickly or does it take time? What’s the ‘mindset’ we need to approach this problem?  
• What are the benefits that people will start to see from getting better sleep?  
• What’s the first thing we can do to start improving our sleep?
• Can you take us through a few more techniques that listeners can practice today/tonight/as we listen to this podcast?
• What change would you like to see happen in the profession (culture, support etc)?
• What three key takeaways would you like to leave our listeners with? 

Cornerstones have developed an online curriculum platform for primary schools called Maestro, which is full of engaging projects and timesaving curriculum tools for busy teachers and senior leaders.

You can check out their podcast, or visit their website to find out more about the great work they are doing with over 2000 schools across the UK.  

You can connect with Cornerstones 

Via their website www.cornerstoneseducation.co.uk

Via Twitter

Connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan
On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan
Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.
And my new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

 

Be Kind to Yourself to Prevent Burnout with Mrs Humanities

"Accept how you're feeling; it’s ok if you do not feel ok. It’s ok to find things hard.  I felt guilty and selfish. I got to point of burnout and break down and it would have been better not to get there."

Victoria Hewitt is the teacher behind 'Mrs Humanities'. She's the author of Making it as a Teacher and a proud ambassador for the UK charity, the Education Support Partnership.

In this generous and insightful episode, Victoria shares:

• Her journey through the first 5 years of teaching;
• The humanities resources she creates and shares freely with colleagues;
• Her personal experience of burnout and why it's so important to reach out for support sooner rather than later - it’s not going to get better on its own;
• Why it's so important to regularly check-in with yourself;
• The symptoms of burnout to watch out for;
• The power of setting boundaries and learning to say 'no';
• Teacher 5-a-day as a powerful wellbeing framework;
• and much more...

** If you're feeling continuous or lasting symptoms of dread, shakiness, feeling sick, overly emotional or persistently anxious or stressed, please call Education Support on 08000 562 561 [UK] to get some guidance. You are not alone.

You can connect with Victoria

On Twitter Mrs Humanities
Her website is www.mrshumanities.com
Her book is Making it as a Teacher 

You can read more about the Eisenhower Matrix she mentioned.
The Education Support website is www.educationsupport.org.uk

Connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan
On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan
Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.
And my new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.

The Power of Relationships for Wellbeing with Kelly Hannaghan

"What daily, weekly, monthly habits can you put in your diary right now that will keep you doing your job safe and well, and happy?"

Kelly Hannaghan is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant with The Education People and through her business Mind Work Matters.

In this kind and gentle episode, Kelly offers a great opportunity to reflect and consider what your wellbeing needs are, and how to approach them in 2021 as an individual and a school. She shares her thoughts and practical advice on:

• how to develop a whole-school approach for positive mental health and wellbeing for everyone in school
• the steps to ensure the voices of all stakeholders are heard (including staff, pupils, families, the wider community and other agencies)
• creating practical resource hubs to meet the needs of your community
• what to do when parents get caught up in shame or guilt and don't ask for the support they need
• dealing with the dreaded 'imposter syndrome' of feeling not good enough
• building strong foundations for therapeutic and holistic work by building positive and trusting relationship with others
• and much more!

Kelly is an active blogger and writer on Wellbeing and Mental health and has received many awards and acknowledgements for her work in embedding whole-school wellbeing approaches.  Her work has been recognised by the DFE and many other organisations and charities.  

You can connect with Kelly

On Twitter @mindworkmatters
On LinkedIn Kelly Hannaghan
The Education People
Her email is kellyhannaghan@gmail.com
The virtual conference she mentioned is Leading Mental Health in Schools with the Education People on the 3rd of February.  

You can connect with Maria
On Twitter @Mariabrosnan
On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan
Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.
And my new book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.