Teacher Wellbeing

The guest today is Andrew McCormack, Senior Associate and Accredited Family Law Specialist at Best Wilson Buckley Family Law (https://bwbfamilylaw.com.au). We talk about legal considerations for teachers, like mandatory reporting obligations and the protocols that differ between schools, as well as some things you might need to know about teachers becoming involved in family law court proceedings. Andrew also covers some things around legal self-care, such as the ways teachers can protect themselves online. Andrew, although he is not a teacher and has never been a teacher, he gets it. He understands the impact of long hours, inflexible deadlines and sometimes highly emotional and complex human situations that arise, and how that can impact on a person's mental health. Unfortunately, there are high rates of burnout in the legal profession just like in teaching, so he understands. Andrew's advice is to remember that you are not alone, that there is a whole structure and framework supporting you, so ask for help when you need it! This episode is sponsored by Katrina Bourke Coaching, helping caring professions create a life of balance and flow. Find out more at www.katrinabourkecoaching.com.au and evolve, transform, thrive.

In this episode, I interview Lisa Murray, author of the new book "Living Beyond Burnout." Lisa and I discuss the lessons she's learned from having burnout 3 times and the stories she told herself before she knew what burnout was. We also explore why it's vital that more people talk about burnout so it stops being a shameful secret and as a community we can notice the warning signs and focus on prevention. Lisa shares the number one symptom to be on the lookout for and some wonderful tips for how be creative in your approach to work so as to increase energy and vitality. As often happens, one of the central messages is to experiment on yourself and figure out what works for you, because there is no one size fits all! You can find more about Lisa Murray at www.creativealchemi.com or get the book at www.livingbeyondburnout.com This episode is sponsored by Katrina Bourke Coaching, helping caring professions create a life of balance and flow. Find out more at www.katrinabourkecoaching.com.au and evolve, transform, thrive.

The guest today is Maria Doyle from mariadoyle.com and we have a fantastic conversation about burnout and the importance of self-care. Remember, to be eligible the Christmas prize draw, go to www.patreon.com/selfcareforteachers In this episode, I interview Maria about her experiences with burnout, the lessons she learned after suffering multiple organ failure and the power of personal growth. We discuss the way teaching attracts nurturers and carers who just want to serve, but end up over-giving, and the way that approach undermines effectiveness and our ability to serve in the long run. Maria shares how she has moved from being a workaholic and perfectionist to somebody who prioritises self-care and serves from a full cup. "Being exhausted as a teacher is the status quo." This episode is sponsored by Katrina Bourke Coaching, helping caring professions create a life of balance and flow. Find out more at www.katrinabourkecoaching.com.au and evolve, transform, thrive.

In this episode I share a snipper from the book I'm writing about teacher wellbeing. I also announce some updates to the Self-Care for Teachers Patreon Page. To be eligible the Christmas prize draw, go to www.patreon.com/selfcareforteachers "What got you here, won't get you there. This is fitting for this conversation about teacher self-care on both an individual and collective level. What got us and our education system to this point of mass teacher burnout and attrition will not get us to mass teacher wellbeing and retention. If we keep doing what we're doing, we'll keep getting the results we're getting. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We cannot wait any longer for the powers that be to fix our education system. The only person I have control over in my life is me. The only person you have control over is you. It would be great if we all felt confident and worthy enough to be practising radical, differentiated self-care already, but the fact is that our culture doesn't encourage it. Apart from the school culture in which you work, which is likely permeated by a soldier-on mentality, the culture of the wider community also views self-care as selfish. The only person who can make a real change to this in your life is you. Nobody else has as vested an interest in your health and wellbeing. If you're waiting for or need somebody to give you permission to make you and your health, happiness and wellbeing the absolute priority in your life, here it is!" This episode is sponsored by Katrina Bourke Coaching, helping caring professions create a life of balance and flow. Find out more at www.katrinabourkecoaching.com.au and evolve, transform, thrive.

If you've ever experienced anxiety, then this episode is for you! I speak with Neurologic Music Therapist Allison Davis (www.allisondavies.com.au) about the way brains work, the causes of anxiety and how we can apply small, simple strategies consistently to help our brains work at their best. We also discuss the value of singing and reading out loud, not just for the kiddos in our lives but for us too! It's a wonderful conversation about brain care as self-care. Take a brain break and enjoy! This episode is sponsored by Katrina Bourke Coaching. Katrina helps caring professions create a life of balance and flow. She has a range of programs available for teachers and school leaders. To find out more visit katrinabourkecoaching.com.au

In this episode, I share dive a little deeper into some ways you can think about self-care, including the difference between resourceful and unresourceful self-care and the importance of being really honest and self-aware when working out what self-care activities you want to prioritise. I share an activity you can do to help identify the best self-care practices for you so that you can differentiate wellbeing strategies to meet your needs, instead of 'should'-ing all over yourself. This episode is sponsored by Katrina Bourke Coaching, helping caring professions create a life of balance and flow. Katrina has a range of programs available for teachers and school leaders, for more information go to katrinabourkecoaching.com.au Katrina Bourke Coaching, Evolve, Transform, Thrive!

I interview Vanessa, who teaches at a special school in Queensland. We have a great conversation about how things shift when returning to work post-maternity leave, why boundary setting is so important and the power of structure and routine (it's just as important for us grown ups as it is for the kids in our classes!). Vanessa's advice is relevant to all teachers, and her practical tips to prevent decision fatigue and prioritise self-care even in busy times are extremely valuable. "Choose 1 non-negotiable and stick to it." Remember to check out patreon.com/selfcareforteachers to help support the podcast.

This is a great conversation with Katrina Bourke, an ex-teacher and Deputy Principal who now coaches caring professionals out of their overwhelm and stress, and into balance and flow. After decades of constant busy-ness, self-judgment, comparison and feeling never-quite-good-enough, she has learned to accept and manage all of that and make long-lasting change. Katrina shares her story of overcoming unhelpful patterns and wellbeing challenges, as well as some fantastic advice for teachers to thrive in the classroom and in life. Find her at www.katrinabourkecoaching.com.au "Come to terms with the fact that you will never get through your to-do list."

I interview my sister, Naomi, about her experiences as a primary school teacher in Queensland, Australia and in London, England. We also talk about the importance of the community aspects of teaching and the pros and cons of being married to a teacher. Naomi has some great ideas about work-life balance and what that looks like for teachers compared with other professions, as well as some excellent self-care and wellbeing tips for fellow teachers. "It's good to take a step back and think 'this is only half an hour out of the whole year with these kids.'" Remember, if you would like to help support the podcast through donations and sponsorship, go to www.patreon.com/selfcareforteachers

It's been a while between drinks but I'm back with the first episode of Season 2! In this episode I share where I've been, why I took such an unexpectedly big break between seasons and what to expect from the second season of the podcast. I also cover some of the insidious symptoms of burnout and why I believe the teacher burnout conversation needs to shift focus going forwards. Plus, I am introducing a new way to support the show. Would you like to be the first sponsor of the Teacher Wellbeing podcast? Head on over to https://patreon.com/selfcareforteachers

In this episode, Ellen discusses the need for differentiation not only for students in the classroom but also for adults seeking health, happiness and wellbeing. When it comes to self-care, there is no one-size-fits-all and realising this can help us shift out of comparisonitis and perfectionism. Having a good understanding of our own personality and individual traits can help us tailor wellbeing practices to suit and make changes in our life to help us thrive. Ellen also shares her 8-step acronym for SELF-CARE, and explains why self-knowledge is so important it's the first step.

In this episode, Ellen interiews Julie , a high school English teacher who also runs the educational consulting business Teacher Mindset. She shares her journey towards creating more wellbeing in her life, including the health scare that led to a lightbulb moment about the job. Julie's focus is always on the strength of the relationships she has with her students, colleagues and the community, and her passion for building those connections shines through. She also shares some cracking advice for early career teachers about the system, being human and setting boundaries. "The school's not going to fire you just because you say no." http://www.teachermindset.com/

In this episode Ellen shares a number of metaphors that can help understand the way priorities work. Following on from the last episode about burnout, she also explains why focusing on solutions is more productive than focusing on the problem. In the goal of burnout prevention, the focus needs to be on moving towards what we do want (health, wellbeing and self-care) rather than away from what we don't want (stress and burnout). Getting our prioritise straight can help in this endeavour. The metaphors Ellen shares here can help you work out how you are currently prioritising self-care in your life and whether you need to make any changes there in order to move towards wellbeing. Remember, you are a person first and a teacher second!

In this episode Ellen explains the three main components of burnout and why it is different from straight exhaustion. She also discusses the difference between chronic and acute stress, and how long term stress impacts the body and the contribution that can make to burnout. A must listen for anybody who experiences stress at work or physical and emotional exhaustion. Understanding and tuning in to your body's stress response can be the first step towards being able to prevent burnout.

In this episode, Ellen interviews Diana, a teacher, fellow self-care advocate and anxiety coach. Diana has some excellent tips and tricks to share. She discusses her experiences managing her health with teaching and now motherhood, the benefits of letting go of perfectionism, as well as the importance of modelling vulnerability and authenticity to her students and colleagues. "Let's have some compassion for one another. We're all tired here!"