Accentuate the positive!

How are you feeling today? Seriously, are you happy, sad, indifferent?...A positive working environment is vital not only for staff, but for pupils too. Negativity breeds negativity and at a time where signs of clinical depression are reported to be recognised in children as young as primary school age, a positive school environment is just as important as a happy home, if not more so.

This week in Behaviour Matters we will be looking at the importance of wellbeing and how it can be linked to behaviour − not only of ourselves, but in the chain reaction which occurs in those around us as a direct result.

Wellbeing and managing behaviour

Working in a school environment, we are all immersed in a world of pressure and stress. Our efforts to enable young people to achieve their full potential both sustain and exhaust us.

There are clear links between staff wellbeing, motivation and performance levels. These are reflected in pupil motivation, achievement and behaviour. When both staff and pupils feel good about themselves, and are working in appropriate environments, their motivation, achievements and behaviour (and behaviour management) are likely to be higher.

Yet there is often an imbalance in this structure. Teaching and non-teaching staff can spend hours agonising over curriculum, interest levels and individual needs, but who is looking after their physical, spiritual and emotional needs?

Negative stress impacts on our ability to fight infection. It can cause raised blood pressure, upset digestive processes and lead to physical and emotional exhaustion. Our levels of tolerance are also likely to be affected when dealing with confrontation or chronic misbehaviour. Problems that would normally be seen as simply annoying or insignificant can become massive difficulties when you are operating in what you perceive to be very challenging circumstances.

Your chances of success and professional satisfaction are greatly enhanced when all aspects of the environment are geared to promote staff and pupil wellbeing.

Many schools are now recognising the need to provide resources and make arrangements to promote wellbeing. Unfortunately there are still major problems associated with time allocation. Many staff find that professional pressure and teaching commitments mean that there is still insufficient time available during the working day. Schools that use a system of bells to indicate the end of a lesson also expect that same bell to be the start of the next. This makes it impossible for staff to arrive in rooms before students or discuss, even briefly, important issues of behaviour management with teaching assistants.

Take some time to evaluate your working practices and be aware of the components that together contribute to improved wellbeing.

Practical tips

Does your school provide opportunities for the whole staff to consider what might be termed as 'good practice' in promoting wellbeing?

How aware are members of staff of the effects of:

• Food (fresh, locally produced and organic food versus junk and processed food)? Good food choices will minimise the internal stress we place on our bodies.
  
• 'E' numbers for children and caffeine for teachers? Try keeping a food diary to spot the connections between the food you eat and your physical wellbeing. (Don't forget to include what you drink!)
  
• Breathing and self-calming exercises? (Do you teach these techniques as part of the school curriculum?)
  
• Exercise? Use physical exercise as a stress buster. What does it for you?
  
• Rest and relaxation? What are your work and relaxation routines? What is available to you at work and at home?
  
• Social settings verses lone working? It is important to feel included.
  
• Verbal and non-verbal language? Remember in excess of 80% of communication is non-verbal.
  

It is worthwhile undertaking an audit of your working environment. Physical influences affect your ability to cope with the stresses you bring from your private life and the challenges of teaching. Example areas to be identified and acted on:

• Are routines for movement around the school site clearly understood?
  
• Are break-time systems consistently adopted by all staff?
  
• Are problem areas identified and appropriate action adopted?
  

• Are school policies clearly understood?
  
• Is there collective responsibility among all staff for the behaviour and welfare of the students?
  
• Do staff feel able to acknowledge difficulties?
  
• Are staff roles clearly defined?
  
• Do adults provide good role models at all times?
  

Taking a leaf out of current successful TV programmes it is also worth adopting a 'house doctor' approach to your working conditions:

• Appropriate and sufficient seating in the staff room.
  
• Good toilet and wash-room facilities, soap, soft tissue and working door locks.
  
• Availability of drinking water (water fountains?)
  
• Facilities to make hot drinks.
  
• Access to working areas with the use of telephone, computer, photocopier.
  
• Provision of areas for staff relaxation/exercise (possible corporate gym membership).
  
• Professional development opportunities in the areas of nutrition, relaxation and exercise.
  

Feel good and enjoy the challenges of working with young people.

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This e-bulletin issue was first published in November 2007

About the author: Dave Stott is the author of Behaviour Matters. He has nearly 30 years' teaching experience including seven years as a headteacher level. He has worked in mainstream, special and Local Authority Behaviour Support Services, and is now a successful consultant and trainer.