On paper my last teaching post should have been one of the nicest. The school was good, the children were well-behaved and I had all the kit I needed but there were days when I simply hated doing my job. The reason was simple, it was my classroom. As a science teacher I had a lab but my school was a mid-seventies unit-built school and the labs were in the middle of the building. They protruded from the top of the building but they had no windows at eye-level, just at 8 feet off the ground. There were days when I could go into the lab at 8;50 with a blue sky and emerge 2 hours later to find snow on the ground. I felt trapped, the lack of light made me feel constantly miserable and not having anything else to look at except the walls and the pupils was challenging. I can honestly say that this had a significant impact on my well-being and I couldn't wait to swap my lab for an office. The knowledge of my lousy environment created pressure, and this pressure eventually piled up on top of all the other pressures to become stress.
I have also worked in some vile locations where schools felt like they were dumped either in the middle of high-rise estates or on the edge of nowhere. I've worked in some awful buildings with lousy decor, poor lighting, low ceilings and small windows. I was miserable before I went through the door.
On the other hand I spent 4 years working in a school in Cyprus. The panoramic windows at the back of my lab looked up to the Troodos mountains and the front of the school looked down onto the sea. The school was spacious and bright, well-designed and easy to move around; I can't remember a single day when I really didn't want to do the job. There was simply so much light, not from fluorescent tubes but natural light. I was happy, the children were happy! You may say that you're not surprised I was happy, I was in Cyprus, who wouldn't be. There were plenty of things I didn't like about being out there and many of these things were precisely because of where I was, but the school itself did not make me miserable.
I have no doubt that your physical environment is a key factor in causing stress. Schools with pleasant classrooms, plenty of facilities, well furnished and nicely decorated premises, have a positive impact of all of those who work or learn there. I believe that most pupils respond positively to pleasant environments but when their environments are unpleasant they may feel that this is a reflection on their worth as learners. We all know about teaching pupils who feel that schools do not invest in them, it is hard work, and there we have another pressure. Lousy environments rub off on the pupils, who then react against the environment and make the lives of teachers even harder.
What can you do about it? There will be times when the answer is simply to leave that school. Schools are hard-up and you won't get a rebuild. However you can do some things to help yourself. Simply improving lighting can help, talk to your school leaders about this. Given that light can have such an impact on mood and the feeling of well-being it is important that you share your concerns. Brighten up your classrooms. Without getting into the issue of who puts up displays, have exciting and colourful walls. Also look at classroom layout. As a secondary teacher I was never too imaginative but I have seen some great uses of space in primary classrooms. Be imaginative with layouts (if the room allows it), make the room easier for you to move around (movement may help you feel happier and not trapped), and seek advice.
Almost everything I have written about has been about human interactions, but the physical environment can have an impact on your well-being. Make yourself heard!
I have also worked in some vile locations where schools felt like they were dumped either in the middle of high-rise estates or on the edge of nowhere. I've worked in some awful buildings with lousy decor, poor lighting, low ceilings and small windows. I was miserable before I went through the door.
On the other hand I spent 4 years working in a school in Cyprus. The panoramic windows at the back of my lab looked up to the Troodos mountains and the front of the school looked down onto the sea. The school was spacious and bright, well-designed and easy to move around; I can't remember a single day when I really didn't want to do the job. There was simply so much light, not from fluorescent tubes but natural light. I was happy, the children were happy! You may say that you're not surprised I was happy, I was in Cyprus, who wouldn't be. There were plenty of things I didn't like about being out there and many of these things were precisely because of where I was, but the school itself did not make me miserable.
I have no doubt that your physical environment is a key factor in causing stress. Schools with pleasant classrooms, plenty of facilities, well furnished and nicely decorated premises, have a positive impact of all of those who work or learn there. I believe that most pupils respond positively to pleasant environments but when their environments are unpleasant they may feel that this is a reflection on their worth as learners. We all know about teaching pupils who feel that schools do not invest in them, it is hard work, and there we have another pressure. Lousy environments rub off on the pupils, who then react against the environment and make the lives of teachers even harder.
What can you do about it? There will be times when the answer is simply to leave that school. Schools are hard-up and you won't get a rebuild. However you can do some things to help yourself. Simply improving lighting can help, talk to your school leaders about this. Given that light can have such an impact on mood and the feeling of well-being it is important that you share your concerns. Brighten up your classrooms. Without getting into the issue of who puts up displays, have exciting and colourful walls. Also look at classroom layout. As a secondary teacher I was never too imaginative but I have seen some great uses of space in primary classrooms. Be imaginative with layouts (if the room allows it), make the room easier for you to move around (movement may help you feel happier and not trapped), and seek advice.
Almost everything I have written about has been about human interactions, but the physical environment can have an impact on your well-being. Make yourself heard!
