What impact is teacher presenteeism having on your teacher wellbeing?

I was recently speaking to a teacher who was feeling unwell.

They were run down, tired and full of cold.

They didn’t look great and they sounded even worse.

Yet. They still decided to go into school the next day because, “I want to do what’s best for the students.”

I get it.

I used to be like this too.

When you become unwell as a teacher, it is the worst.

The job is hard enough when you feel fit and well, let alone when you feel full of cold and don’t want to move.

Yet, the pressure to go into school is still there.

• You feel ashamed that you are struggling and don’t want to admit to anyone that you’re not feeling 100%.
• You feel guilty that you being off means that you’re giving your colleagues additional work by dealing with the cover or even having to give up free periods in order to teach your lessons.
• You fret that valuable learning time will be lost if you take time off.
• The hassle of setting cover is counterintuitively a good reason to just go in and teach instead. Somehow, it feels easier.

Photo by Isabella and Zsa Fischer on Unsplash

And these reasons are made ten times worse when actually you are feeling mentally unwell. From the outside, nothing looks wrong and you may feel like you are being useless and pathetic when you don’t feel up to going into school.

(Know that if you’re feeling this, you are not alone and this is definitely not true).

But let’s have a reality check for a moment.

The teacher I mentioned at the beginning, who said that it was best for their students if they went into school.

They are wrong.

Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Unsplash

You know what will help your students when you don’t feel well?

You staying at home and resting your socks off.

Maybe intuitively, you know that. You know that you ought to rest, keep any viruses you have to yourself and get better (thank goodness COVID has taught us that much at least).

And yet, you will probably still go into school!

So, here’s the reality check:

• If you choose to go into school when you’re unwell, you will take longer to recover from your illness. This is your body’s message to STOP. Listen to it otherwise, it will slow you down for even longer.
• Your colleagues will not thank you for coming in. This is for two reasons. First, if you’re physically unwell, you’ll be sharing it around for all to not appreciate. Second, you are inadvertently telling your colleagues that if they’re ever ill, you expect them to also be in. If they see you coming in ill, they’ll assume that’s expected of them too. You may not tell yourself to stay at home when you’re ill but I imagine you wouldn’t give the same advice to a colleague or friend.
• Your students do not benefit. Leeds Becket University did a study that showed students learn better when their teachers are happy and healthy. So make sure that you are getting yourself happy and healthy for your students. They deserve the best version of you.
• You are not irreplaceable. This is the toughest message to swallow (I should know, I had to take this heavy pill when I was signed off work with panic attacks). Schools, your colleagues, you students will all carry on whether you are there or not. The biggest impact you can have as a teacher is to be the best version of yourself. That version of you will help students progress, will build positive relationships and will help you to be happy, healthy and resilient. So give yourself as much opportunity as you can to make this a reality.

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

46% of teachers always go into work when unwell.

It’s a pandemic within itself and is weakening education as teachers wear themselves into the ground.

Yet, it doesn’t have to be like this.

As a teacher, you should always prioritise your own needs first.

This may feel super uncomfortable to begin with but trust me, it has a positive ending.

When you prioritise your own needs — otherwise known as being professionally selfish — you empower yourself to fill your own cup first.

Making sure that you are resting when you are ill, getting enough good quality sleep throughout the term, feeding yourself well and exercising regularly will enable you to pour from a full cup.

Like the oxygen mask analogy, you are only of benefit to others if you have taken care of your own needs first.

This is your responsibility.

Your students and colleagues deserve the best version of you there is.

Only then can you pour into the cups of others.

This is what’s best for your students.

Gemma Drinkall is an Educational Wellbeing Coach, helping middle leaders in education to create clear boundaries so that they can love teaching, and their lives, again.

Want to get in touch? Book a free, no obligation virtual coffee chat here: calendly.com/headsphere/bookacallwithgemma