Teach Primary Issue 19.5

A toolkit that works Once you begin to recognise your stress triggers, the next step is to gather resources that support your wellbeing and resilience. Here are a few that have helped me and many other educators. 1. Self-compassion Speak to yourself the way you would to a colleague or friend in need. A simple reminder like, “This is hard, but I’m doing my best,” can make all the difference on difficult days. 2. Boundaries Learning to say, “This can wait,” is not a weakness, it’s a strength. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and your pupils need the healthiest version of you. 3. Reflection Whether through journaling, voice notes, or trusted conversations, creating space to process your thoughts helps you spot patterns and let go of what no longer serves you. 4. Reframing Try shifting your inner dialogue. Instead of, “I’ve never done this before,” say, “I’ve never done this before – but I have what it takes to learn.” 5. Support networks Find your people; the ones who listen without judgement, who remind you of your worth, and who’ve walked similar paths. You were never meant to do this work alone. It’s easy to believe that stress means you’re failing. But more often, it’s simply a sign that you’re growing . You’re expanding your comfort zone, stepping into new responsibilities, and discovering deeper strengths within yourself. So, the next time you find yourself questioning whether you’re good enough, or whether you have what it takes to cope, remind yourself: “ That’s okay. I’ve grown before. I can grow again.” Viv Grant is an executive coach, author, public speaker, and director of Integrity Coaching, London’s leading provider of coaching services for headteachers and senior school leaders. Dr Christopher Arnold and Dr Jane Yeomans both worked as teachers before becoming senior practitioner educational psychologists. The third edition of their book, Psychology for Teaching Assistants , (£29.95, Teaching Times), is out now. 56 | www.teachwire.net integritycoaching.co.uk P erhaps the most common display of aggression in schools is bullying, but psychology can make a contribution to tackling it. First, it’s useful to understand that there is a biological dimension, and bullying is not simply a human problem. Similar behaviour has been observed in animals; in these cases (dubbed mobbing ), large groups of animals, or birds, will attack a perceived threat. For instance, small birds will attack an owl. There are two benefits for the small birds. First, the owl is a predator; as individuals they are unable to defend themselves against this threat, but as a group they can. Secondly, they have an opportunity to learn more about the threat – the small birds are curious. Learning theory gives us more information. In humans, bullying is perhaps rewarded by the admiration, or fear, of others. Status can rise. For the victim, putting up with the acts of the bully may be less humiliating than talking about it to others. Social learning theory suggests that bullies may learn how to bully by watching others. If staff in school use physical or emotional strength to get their way, the message is given that bullying is an acceptable way of getting people to do what you want. Although physical attack is illegal, adults in school can use language to humiliate children and each other (e.g. sarcasm). These ideas lead us towards ways we can reduce bullying, including creating a culture in which children can talk about being bullied without shame (anonymous reporting, the use of drama and visible school policies); ensuring that the discussion of feelings is an acceptable part of school life (that it is not shameful to say you are unhappy); and making sure that the bully is not rewarded for their actions (public or private apologies face-to-face or in writing); for the bully who is insecure, some personal counselling or inclusion in a social skills group may help). In addition, there are practical elements to consider in both the design of the school and the ways in which areas are supervised. Bullying is unlikely to happen when the children can see adults; areas of the school which are never supervised are breeding grounds for bullying. TAs are also particularly well positioned to look for signs of bullying; they may have a closer relationship with individual pupils than a teacher would, and students can feel safer with their LSA. So, next time you suspect bullying in your school, put your psychology knowledge to the test (and recruit your TA’s help!). TP The psychology OF BULLYING Understanding why humans engage in bullying can help us address its prevalence in schools, argue Dr Christopher Arnold and Dr Jane Yeomans ...