Teacher Resilience - Hugh Smith

Summary

This script delves into the significance of resilience in the educational sector, emphasizing its link to professional values and its impact on mental health and teaching effectiveness. It discusses the misconception that resilience is innate and highlights the need for active nurturing. The script introduces the stress bucket analogy and the coaching wheel model for self-evaluation, suggesting these tools to maintain and enhance resilience. It also underscores the importance of positive relationships, role models, and supportive environments in fostering resilience. The discussion concludes with the idea that resilience can be developed and is crucial for navigating challenges in the post-COVID-19 educational landscape.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Resilience is a natural link to professional values and is crucial for positive mental health and well-being in educational settings.
• 🔄 Personal resilience should be monitored and maintained, especially during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 💡 Resilience is not automatic and requires intervention to boost levels and manage everyday challenges effectively.
• 👨‍🏫 Teachers are increasingly needing to be aware of their resilience levels to cope with changes in learning, teaching, and workplace practices.
• 🤝 There's a mismatch between the expectations for teachers to support learner mental health and the support available for their own mental health.
• 🌱 Resilience is based on early research about children overcoming risk factors and has evolved to acknowledge everyone's capacity to be resilient.
• 🔑 Positive relationships, social and emotional skills, and role models are fundamental to building and maintaining resilience.
• 💧 The 'stress bucket' analogy illustrates how different individuals have varying stress levels and coping mechanisms.
• 🚫 Beware of false coping strategies that may seem to reduce stress but actually increase it in the long run.
• 🔄 A coaching wheel model can be a helpful tool for evaluating personal resilience within the context of professional values.
• 🌈 Resilience is influenced by intrinsic, internal, and external protective factors, with the latter offering the most opportunities for enhancement.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to explore the concept of resilience, particularly in the context of teaching, and how it relates to professional values. It discusses the impact of personal resilience on mental health, well-being, and effectiveness in the workplace.

How does resilience impact an individual's mental health and well-being?

Resilience positively impacts an individual's mental health and well-being by enabling them to cope with stress, challenges, and adverse circumstances effectively, thus enhancing their engagement with learning and teaching activities.

What is the misconception about resilience mentioned in the script?

The misconception mentioned in the script is that resilience and being resilient will happen automatically and that levels can be boosted without any intervention on an individual's part.

How does the COVID-19 pandemic affect teachers' resilience?

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced teachers to become more aware of their levels of resilience and whether they have the capacity to deal with the varying challenges brought about through changes in learning, teaching, and workplace practices.

What is the relationship between teacher resilience and learner mental health?

The script suggests that there is a mismatch between the expectations of how teachers might support learner mental health and well-being and how teacher mental health and well-being itself might be supported, indicating a need for teachers to have sufficient resilience to support learners effectively.

What is the 'stress bucket' analogy and how does it relate to resilience?

The 'stress bucket' analogy represents our levels of stress as the water level in a bucket. Coping mechanisms, like mindfulness, exercise, and talking about feelings, act as taps to control the water level, preventing the bucket from overflowing with stress, which is a key aspect of maintaining resilience.

What is a coaching wheel and how can it be used to evaluate resilience?

A coaching wheel is a visual tool, similar to the wheel of life, used to gain a snapshot of balance and fulfillment in life. It can be used to evaluate personal levels of resilience within the professional values continuum by reflecting on and self-evaluating various aspects of one's professional life.

What are the three influencing attributes of teacher resilience mentioned in the script?

The three influencing attributes of teacher resilience are intrinsic (genetics, gender, temperament, personality, and intelligence), internal (self-regulation, problem-solving, reflection, reasoning, self-awareness, patience, and perseverance), and external protective (positive role models, relationships, high expectations, participation in activities, caring for others, sense of meaning and belonging, and previous experience of successful coping mechanisms).

How can teachers enhance their personal levels of resilience?

Teachers can enhance their personal levels of resilience by engaging in creative hobbies or sports-related activities, nurturing positive relationships, having positive role models, and participating in activities and teams. Additionally, caring for others and receiving or giving compliments and acts of kindness can have a positive impact on psychological, emotional, and physical well-being.

Why is it important for teachers to give and receive compliments and acts of kindness?

It is important for teachers to give and receive compliments and acts of kindness because it influences psychological, emotional, and physical well-being positively. It can help to keep depression in check and contributes to a positive work environment, which in turn enhances resilience.

How does the script suggest teachers can reflect on their resilience?

The script suggests that teachers can reflect on their resilience by using a self-evaluation wheel to assess their personal resilience levels in relation to various professional standards. This reflection helps in identifying areas for improvement and creating a personal snapshot of resilience levels.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Understanding Teacher Resilience

The first paragraph introduces the concept of resilience in the context of professional values, emphasizing its importance for mental health and well-being. It discusses how personal resilience can enhance engagement in learning and teaching activities and contribute to the effectiveness of one's role within a team. The paragraph highlights the misconception that resilience happens automatically and stresses the need for active monitoring and management, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. It also touches on the expectation that teachers should be resilient enough to adapt to changes in education and support learner mental health, acknowledging the mismatch between these expectations and the support teachers receive for their own well-being.

05:02

💡 Strategies for Enhancing Resilience

The second paragraph delves into strategies to manage and enhance resilience, using the analogy of a stress bucket to illustrate how different coping mechanisms can either help manage stress levels or inadvertently increase them. It suggests that activities like mindfulness exercises, adequate sleep, and open communication are effective 'taps' to control stress. The paragraph introduces the concept of a coaching wheel as a tool for self-evaluation of resilience levels within the framework of professional values. It encourages reflection on personal resilience in relation to the General Teaching Council for Scotland's standards and provides guidance on how to use a self-evaluation wheel to assess and record one's resilience.

10:04

🏋️‍♂️ Building Resilience through Positive Interactions

The third paragraph focuses on the three influencing attributes of resilience: intrinsic, internal, and external protective factors. It discusses how external protective factors, such as positive role models and relationships, can significantly enhance personal resilience. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of engaging in creative hobbies, sports, and acts of kindness, which not only benefit the individual but also contribute to a positive work environment. It challenges the reluctance to share compliments and kindness among colleagues and suggests that such positive interactions can be a powerful way to boost resilience. The paragraph concludes by acknowledging that even resilient individuals face challenges but possess the skills to reflect, problem-solve, and learn from these experiences, thus growing stronger.

Keywords

💡Resilience

Resilience refers to the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, adapting well to change, and bouncing back from adversity. In the context of the video, resilience is emphasized as a critical personal quality that impacts mental health, well-being, and professional effectiveness. It is particularly relevant in the face of challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where teachers are expected to adapt to new educational norms. The script mentions that resilience is not something that happens automatically but requires active nurturing and management.

💡Professional Values

Professional values are the ethical principles and standards that guide a person's behavior and decision-making in their professional life. The video suggests that resilience should be viewed as a natural extension of these values, influencing how individuals engage with learning, teaching, and their colleagues. It implies that fostering resilience can enhance the quality of professional interactions and contribute positively to the workplace environment.

💡Mental Health and Well-being

Mental health and well-being are discussed in the video as essential aspects that resilience can positively affect. The script highlights the importance of maintaining good mental health to cope with the stresses of teaching, especially during challenging times like the pandemic. It points out a mismatch between the expectations placed on teachers to support student well-being and the support available for their own mental health, indicating a need for greater awareness and support.

💡Adverse Circumstances

Adverse circumstances are situations that pose challenges or difficulties. The video defines resilience as the personal capacity to respond positively to such circumstances, which are unique to each individual. It emphasizes that how one rebounds from errors, disappointments, or trauma is central to being resilient, suggesting that building resilience is about developing effective coping mechanisms for personal and professional challenges.

💡Coping Mechanisms

Coping mechanisms are strategies or behaviors used to manage stress or adversity. The script uses the analogy of a 'stress bucket' to illustrate how different individuals have varying capacities to handle stress. It mentions activities like mindfulness exercises, relaxation, adequate sleep, and talking about feelings as effective 'taps' that can control the level of stress. Conversely, it warns against false steps like staying up late, excessive substance use, inactivity, and procrastination, which can exacerbate stress.

💡Coaching Wheel Model

The coaching wheel model is a visual tool used for self-evaluation and reflection on various aspects of one's professional life. The video suggests using this model to evaluate personal levels of resilience within the continuum of professional values. It mentions that the General Teaching Council for Scotland has published examples of coaching wheels to assist with reflection and self-evaluation, indicating that this tool can help teachers assess and enhance their resilience.

💡Intrinsic Attributes

Intrinsic attributes are personal characteristics that are inherent or innate, such as genetics, gender, temperament, personality, and intelligence. The video identifies these as one of the three influencing attributes of resilience. It suggests that while these attributes are less malleable, understanding them can help in developing strategies to bolster resilience.

💡Internal Attributes

Internal attributes relate to an individual's emotional and cognitive capacities, such as self-regulation, problem-solving, reflection, reasoning, self-awareness, patience, and perseverance. The video positions these as a key aspect of resilience that can be developed and nurtured over time, emphasizing the role of personal growth and self-improvement in building resilience.

💡External Protective Attributes

External protective attributes refer to factors outside the individual that can enhance resilience, such as positive role models, relationships, high expectations, participation in activities, and a sense of belonging. The video suggests that these are areas where colleagues can have the most influence in improving their personal resilience, indicating that a supportive external environment is crucial for fostering resilience.

💡Acts of Kindness

Acts of kindness are positive behaviors towards others, such as giving compliments or helping someone in need. The video highlights the importance of these acts in enhancing psychological, emotional, and physical well-being, both for the giver and the receiver. It suggests that incorporating such acts into professional values can contribute to a more resilient and supportive workplace culture.

Highlights

Resilience is a natural link to professional values and impacts mental health and well-being.

Personal resilience can enhance engagement with learning and teaching activities.

Resilience is the capacity to respond positively to adverse circumstances, which are unique to an individual.

Teachers are becoming more aware of their resilience levels due to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is a mismatch between expectations of teacher support for learner mental health and the support for teacher mental health.

Resilience is based on early research and literature from studies of children and young people.

Modern thinking acknowledges that resilience can be nurtured at specific stages in an individual's life.

Positive relationships, social and emotional skills, and role models are fundamental to understanding resilience.

The stress bucket analogy is used to represent stress levels and coping mechanisms.

False steps like staying up late or inactivity can actually increase stress levels.

Teacher resilience can be part of professional values contributing to team working and quality learning experiences.

The coaching wheel model can be used to evaluate personal levels of resilience within professional values.

Teacher resilience is based on intrinsic, internal, and external protective attributes.

Engaging in creative hobbies or sports and caring for others can enhance personal resilience.

Giving and receiving compliments and acts of kindness positively impact psychological, emotional, and physical well-being.

Resilient colleagues still face challenges, but their reflective and problem-solving skills help them learn from experience.

Praise, compliments, and acts of kindness are essential for topping up personal levels of resilience.

Transcripts

during this share time with you

i shall explore the complex area of

teach of resilience

and how this should be viewed as a

natural link to professional values

if monitored and topped up when required

personal resilience will impact

positively on your mental health and

well-being

and provide enhanced engagement with

learning and teaching activities

and increase the effectiveness of your

contribution

within the wider colleague team in your

workplace setting

i also will share some of the capacities

associated

with resilience and how you might

promote resilience throughout your

professional setting

the concept of resilience is used

frequently within education

settings and although there is

familiarity around the concept

there is more than a suggestion that

resilience and being resilient

somehow will happen automatically and

levels can be boosted without any

intervention on an individual's part

ensuring that levels of personal

resilience remain

sufficient through and beyond the covert

19 pandemic

require careful monitoring and

management

resilience can be described as the

personal capacity to respond positively

to adverse circumstances these adverse

circumstances will be unique to an

individual

as others possess differing levels of

resilience in coping with

everyday challenges how an individual

rebounds from

errors of judgment disappointment or

trauma

is at the heart of being resilient

ensuring that an individual can

comfortably

interact with others with respect and

dignity

within the current covert 19

circumstances

teachers are being forced to become more

aware of their levels of resilience

and whether they have the capacity to

deal with the varying challenges

brought about through changes to

learning and teaching and workplace

practice there is a small but not

insignificant

challenge where it is assumed that

teachers mental health and well-being

is sufficiently robust to engage with

education changes

and what will eventually evolve as the

new norm for education

settings however there is a mismatch

between the expectations of how teachers

might support

learner mental health and well-being and

how teacher mental health and well-being

itself might be supported

this will not happen by chance and

requires to be addressed as a matter of

urgency to ensure colleagues feel

mentally secure

for the challenges ahead

perhaps it might be useful to unpack

what we mean by teacher resilience

and where our knowledge and

understanding of resilience is derived

our understanding of resilience is based

on early research and literature from

studies of children

and young people who demonstrate the

capacity to overcome

risk factors in their personal lives

early thinking was based on a deficit

model

whereby it was believed that some

children had an inherent capacity to

cope

in challenging circumstances whilst

others struggled

more up-to-date thinking acknowledges

that there is capacity for resilience

in us all and that this can be nurtured

at specific stages in an individual's

life

fundamental to our understanding of

resilience is the level of positive

relationships

social and emotional skills access to

role models within the workplace

community and home these require to be

considered along the risk factors that

will

impact on the effectiveness of our

personal level of resilience

so for teachers there is no difference

from others

in ensuring that effective resilience

levels are in place

and that there is capacity to respond to

daily stress

challenges whether in the workplace or

at home

you may be familiar with the stress

bucket analogy

this is where our levels of stress are

represented by the level of water in a

bucket

some of us will have smaller buckets and

some more

water in our bucket than others this

indicates that we all have

different circumstances and coping

mechanisms to manage the levels of water

our stress effectively our coping

mechanisms

are represented by taps that ensure our

bucket does not overflow

thus becoming overwhelmed with stress

mindfulness exercise relaxation

restful and adequate sleep and sharing

how we feel by talking

are all examples of taps that control

our stress bucket levels

however you need to be mindful of the

false steps that seem to reduce our

stress bucket levels

but in fact flow back and top up our

bucket

staying up late taking excessive alcohol

or drugs

inactivity procrastination

ignoring or suppressing problems are all

examples of

coping strategies that seem to provide

temporary relief

but in reality fill our stress bucket

more quickly

perhaps we should embed teacher

resilience as part of the professional

values that contribute

to both team working and quality

learning and teaching experiences for

learners

as an initial step towards considering

this

embracing a coaching wheel model might

be helpful

in beginning to evaluate personal levels

of resilience

within the professional values continuum

a coaching wheel is a visual tool and is

based on the wheel of life tool used to

gain a

snapshot and understanding of the

balance and fulfillment of life

there are examples of coaching wheels

also known as self-evaluation wheels

that the general teaching council for

scotland have published

to assist colleagues with reflection and

self-evaluation

and it would be useful to revisit these

examples if you have not done so

already

take a few moments to reflect on the use

of a self-evaluation

wheel as an effective professional tool

then consider the content of the gtcs

examples related to the standard for

career-long professional learning

and professional values copies of these

self-evaluation wheels along with a

blank

version are linked to this video podcast

the gtcs standard examples may also be

downloaded from their website

specifically identify how teacher

resilience might

underpin each of the component parts of

these standards

then consider how you might begin to

record your personal level of resilience

on the scale of zero to ten

this will create a snapshot of your

resilience level

related to each component you will

probably require

additional time to complete this task so

you should select

pause at the end of the music then press

play again

when ready to move on

there are no right or wrong responses to

your personal reflection

and your response will be different from

other colleagues

what is important is that you have

identified the level of resilience you

possess

in relation to the component parts of

the gtcs

standards and that you have recorded

your personal snapshot

along with a narrative of where you

might improve your personal level of

resilience

levels of teacher resilience are based

on three

influencing attributes the first

being intrinsic this attribute

relates to genetics gender temperament

personality and intelligence

the second being internal

this attribute relates to the level of

self-regulation of

emotion and impulses problem solving

capacity for reflection and reasoning

self-awareness patience and perseverance

the third being external protective

this attribute relates to the positive

role models

positive relationships high expectations

participating in activities and teams

caring for others sense of meaning and

belonging

and previous experience of successful

coping mechanisms

it is within the third influencing

attribute

external protective that colleagues will

have

most influence in enhancing their

personal levels of resilience

evidence indicates that colleagues with

a high level of resilience

will engage in creative hobbies or

sports related activities

they also will possess enhanced personal

qualities in relation to caring for

others

receiving compliments and positive acts

of kindness

has an influence on psychological

emotional and physical well-being

and the same is also true for the person

who gives compliments

and acts of kindness this has a positive

impact on the brain heart and immune

system

and can help to keep depression in check

take a few moments to reflect further on

what might contribute

to your personal strengths in meeting

the challenges of your workplace setting

if you require additional time to

complete the reflection

you may select pause at the end of the

music then press play

again

[Applause]

there are no right or wrong responses to

your personal reflection

and your response will likely be

different from other colleagues

what is important to acknowledge is that

you instinctively want to give

compliments to learners

but are reluctant to do the same with

colleagues

perhaps it is time to redress this

imbalance for colleagues

and the wider team by openly sharing

compliments and acts of kindness as part

of teacher

professional values it is important to

highlight

that resilient colleagues still have

challenges and setbacks

but it is the quality and effectiveness

of the reflective and problem solving

skills

that help to address these thus learning

from experience

and positively moving forward

teachers do respond positively to praise

compliments and acts of kindness well

why wouldn't they

but there seems to be a majority who

think it inappropriate or patronizing to

do so

if done sensitively and professionally

the feel good factor of being on the

receiving end

cannot be put into words and provide an

essential

top-up to personal levels of resilience

until next time