There are many amusing memes and sketches about awkward and stress induced parent-teacher interactions all over the internet, but how true are these to reality? With the recent teacher strikes and union action it is clear that teachers in the UK are under immense pressure. In January 2023, this was made heartbreakingly apparent when Headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life. So how can teachers be supported and could parents and teachers learn to collaborate better?
Discussing teacher wellbeing and mental health
In our recent Parent Plug In on Instagram we were discussing teacher wellbeing and mental health. We asked the question what impact does a teacher’s stress and anxiety have on our children?
In other professions where people are supporting the mental and emotional health of others, such as counselling, these individuals are given regular opportunities to talk about the situations they are exposed to. Sharing how it may or may not be affecting their own wellbeing, however this is rarely the case in teaching.
Who can teachers go to when they are feeling on the brink or burn out? Should they be given easy and regular access to counselling?
Pressures of teaching and meeting targets
Parents often talk about the pressure on their child to meet learning goals and expectations because of the teachers own targets. Rather than taking into consideration the individuality of the child and their different development rates. The pressure of the teacher to perform in their role and get results can sometimes be passed down to the child. Is this fair?
At the beginning of 2023 Headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life. After her school in Berkshire went from “outstanding” – the highest rating – to “inadequate” due to safeguarding concerns.
Anyone who has a child at school or who works in a school that is visited by Ofsted, fully understands the anxiety attached to each visit. The visits are sometimes expected but never known in advance. When announced – in some cases 24 hours prior to the visit, induce an atmosphere of fear and panic.
If the purpose of Ofsted is just to check the school is delivering on what they say they are, should it really result in such apprehension?
Teacher wellbeing at an all-time low
A recent article in Schools Week said that “Teacher wellbeing has reached its lowest level in five years, with stress, insomnia and burnout all continuing to rise and working in schools “unsustainably demanding”, a new survey has found.”
“The annual survey also found 78 per cent of 3,000 staff across the United Kingdom are stressed, which rises to 95 per cent among headteachers. Teachers had the highest increase in stress, up six percentage points in 2022.”
“More than a third (36 per cent) reported experiencing burn-out, up nine per cent on last year. Half of staff experienced insomnia or difficulty sleeping, a six-percentage point rise.”
“The report also found that 75 per cent of staff in England thought Ofsted inspections were not fit for purpose. While 73 per cent said it impacted negatively on their mental health.”
Parent and teacher collaboration
If teachers are not receiving effective support within the education system, then how can their stress levels be reduced? How can they become happier in their jobs and become less likely to take out their frustrations on their class?
A recent incident in a London school resulted in a Teacher being suspended after reportedly punching a 10-year-old student. Although no real context has been given as to why the teacher allegedly punched the child, one could assume that perhaps the teacher’s wellbeing was at an all-time low. Therefore they were unable to handle the situation in a measured manner.
Could parents and teachers learn to collaborate better not only to help reduce stress associated with teaching, but also to become more empathetic towards one another? By creating better channels of communication and looking to resolve any issues in a more collaborative way, teachers could feel more supported and parent could feel more understood.
Parent Plug In teacher focus
We spoke about a few different scenarios during our teacher-focused Parent Plug In. Head to our Instagram page and share your thoughts in the comments.
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