As a former head teacher, I’ve seen many teachers come and go. Some thrive amidst the daily chaos of school life, while others struggle to find their footing. But one story that has stayed with me is that of Emily, a talented, passionate teacher whose journey from burnout to resilience taught me the true impact of wellbeing coaching.
When Emily first joined our team, she seemed full of promise. She had recently moved to London, excited about a fresh start after a difficult breakup. But as the months wore on, the toll of her new reality became painfully clear.
The move had been tougher than she expected. London’s frantic pace, coupled with the high cost of living, left her stretched thin. She had swapped the comfort of a small-town support network for the isolation of a cramped flat share. The daily commute, over an hour each way on packed trains, only added to her stress. She arrived at school already exhausted, and by the end of the day, she had nothing left to give.
Her lessons, once vibrant and creative, began to lose their spark. I noticed her retreating in the staff room, sitting alone with her coffee. Students who once thrived under her guidance started to struggle. Other staff quietly expressed concerns, but Emily remained closed off, insisting she was “just tired.”
It wasn’t until she broke down in a meeting, overwhelmed by a minor timetabling change, that I realised just how much support she needed. We had recently introduced wellbeing coaching as part of our staff development, and I gently suggested it to Emily. She hesitated, like many, she saw asking for help as a sign of weakness, but eventually, she agreed to give it a try.
Over the next few months, I witnessed an incredible transformation. Working with her wellbeing coach, Emily began to set small, manageable goals. She couldn’t change the cost of living in London or the length of her commute, but she could control how she approached her days.
Together, they devised strategies to reclaim parts of her life. She started listening to audiobooks on her commute, turning the journey into a time for learning and escape. She created a morning routine that included a short walk and a few minutes of mindfulness before facing the school day. She began setting boundaries, saying no when her plate was too full and asking for help without guilt.
Emily also worked on reconnecting with what she loved outside of teaching. She joined a local art class, rediscovering a passion that had been buried under lesson plans and marking. Slowly but surely, the spark returned. Her lessons became more engaging, and her interactions with colleagues and students warmed. She was, quite simply, happier.
The ripple effects were profound. Students responded to her renewed energy, and classroom behaviour improved. Other staff took notice, and a quiet shift began within our school culture. Emily’s journey showed us all that looking after our wellbeing wasn’t a luxury, it was a necessity.
When I think back on Emily’s story, I’m filled with pride, not just for her resilience but for the power of giving people the right tools to help themselves. Wellbeing coaching didn’t fix every problem in Emily’s life, but it equipped her with the strategies to navigate them with grace. As a former head teacher, seeing this change was a reminder of why supporting our staff’s wellbeing is one of the most important things we can do.
If you would like your staff team to benefit from wellbeing coaching, please contact Sam Adcock at Wellbeing for Education samadcock@wellbeingforeducation.com