Are we rewarding burnout in school staff?

“If I say NO, who picks it up instead?”

Have you ever been in a position where you felt under pressure to say yes, even when you knew it wasn’t a priority for you, you were already overwhelmed and sinking under the workload, and yet you still said YES?

Why do we do this as teachers? Leaders? Sencos? Teaching assistants?

In my experience, there is a culture that expects we will go over and above, often despite the personal cost.

School staff describe these situations to me using these words:

I feel like a shell of myself, I am living to work, I wonder who I am, I feel lost, I am so drained I can’t function at home…..and yet I said YES.

I remember a day near the end of term, when I was a senco, AHT and with some teaching responsibilities. I had a huge pile of paperwork to complete before the last day of term, and one class was having a real struggle with behaviour. The deputy came and told me I had to go into class for that day. My primary response was a dizziness came over me, heat ran through my body and such a wave of overwhelm in my mind which raced to say to me “Ro, you’re already working from 6am till 9pm, how are you going to manage this?”

In that setting, there was no discussion, it felt like there was no give and take, and I caved. I hope that now, as a better version of me (post burnout!), that I would respond differently. I wanted to help, I didn’t want to let the team down, I flet guilty at not being able to do enough, yet there was no discussion.

How are the relationships around you right now? Is there trust? Are you “allowed” to say no? Do you feel guilty saying no? Will the team think you don’t care if you do?

Staff who stay late, skip breaks, or take on “extra” are praised and labelled as “dedicated” or “heroes”. Or is it more simple than that? Do we also take on extra because we love what we do, we want to make a difference, we want to transform lives?

We know that where we are so overwhelmed, we lose out creativity so what is the offer to the pupils then? It is also common knowledge that research is showing that staff stress levels are very high, teachers and leaders are leaving the profession fast, staff are overwhelmed by workload….

“Good teachers go the extra mile.” Is this true? Is this the reality in your school, whatever your position? I would argue that so often in schools, those who are seen to go over and above are the ones to be promoted and praised. Is this right?

Very well Mind and global research underline that psychologically healthy workplaces, those characterised by respect, autonomy, and open feedback, deliver better mental health, reduced absenteeism, and increased productivity. We have the evidence that it is worth investing in our staff, our culture and taking action to bring out a change is possible and will make a difference. What are we going to do about it?

I recently visited a school where staff and pupils told me they feel safe. Teachers told me they work hard but many strategies are in place to reduce workload. All staff told me it is OK for them to say they need help, and they get it when they ask. Yes they work very hard, yes they are making an impact, but they are not heading for burnout. What is the difference? Mutual respect, teamwork, psychological safety, being listened to, appreciated….and guess what, the staff I spoke to at all levels were keen to go the extra mile.

What would shift if your school made it safe to say no?

I have a course coming out for schools in the Autumn term called 5 minutes to Thrive. This course is available to all schools as a preventative tool, to support the culture of prioritising wellbeing strategies that don’t cost you but enable staff to rediscover their energy, joy and passion for the role. It requires 5 minutes each week, that’s it, so it can fit in to school schedules!

If you’d like information about it or talk to me, email me authorrowenahicks@gmail.com

Or Click here to book a call.