Starting Out Guide For Newly Qualified and Trainee Teachers

Tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance

Speak up when work expectations and demands are too much. Senior staff need to be aware of pressures in order to address them.

• Others will not expect you to know everything or have all the answers - so don’t expect this of yourself.
• Prioritise - try to ‘work smart, not long’. Set yourself a certain amount of time per task and try not to get caught up in unproductive activities.
• Take proper breaks. This can sometimes be difficult when you have responsibilities out of the classroom, but do your best to break for lunch at least, and get out of the classroom.
• Draw a line between work and home. If you do need to bring work home, make sure you have a designated working area on which you can close the door.
• Try to ensure that family, friends, exercise and leisure activities don’t suffer because of long working hours.
• Assess your work-life balance in collaboration with your colleagues if you can. The more visible the process, the more likely it is to have an effect.

Since the implementation of the Government’s Remodelling Agenda in England and Wales, work-life balance will be an important consideration for any school’s management team. You are entitled to the support you need to do your job effectively and all trainees are entitled to a ‘reasonable’ work-life balance.

Teaching is a demanding job! Sometimes it may feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day, as if you’ll never get on top of your workload or that difficult class. When you’re feeling like this, it is vital to remember that you are not alone. Most new teachers find their first year challenging. Don’t be afraid to voice your concerns with trusted colleagues or friends, as they may be able to give useful advice or simply offer a sympathetic ear.

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