Course Details
Creating a supportive working environment
A positive working environment is often the least a teacher expects from a job. For staff where the financial rewards of the profession are not comparable with other professions requiring similar levels of skill, training and commitment, the physical and emotional environment in which they work must be the best it could possibly be. After all, these factors help to distinguish one school from another.
The aim of this course is to help all staff contribute to creating a positive and supportive working environment for all members of the school community. It seeks to help staff spot the signs of a negative working environment, and to develop the skills required to make the school a better place in which to work, helping develop a collaborative approach that promotes the well-being of staff and pupils.
The course will be particularly useful for members of the leadership team, and other staff with management responsibilities. Some sections will benefit staff without specific management responsibilities, as well as other members of the school community.
As you work through the course, you will:
- look at examples of how a negative working environment can affect individuals and the school as a whole
- reflect on your idea of teamwork and explore ways of ensuring that your school is more than a collection of individuals
- learn to spot the signs of adult bullying, and explore ways of tackling it
- examine the signs of negative stress, both in yourself and in colleagues
- learn basic skills to promote the physical and mental well-being of staff
At the heart of this course is the belief that staff well-being and pupil performance are intimately connected. If this is even partially true, we need to imbed healthy practices that foster a supportive working environment deeply within school culture.
Author Biography
Meet the course author:
Elizabeth Holmes was head of history in a high school in Sussex, England, before leaving full time teaching to pursue a writing career. She's written for a variety of national publications and has had several books published about supporting teachers, including The Newly Qualified Teacher's Handbook and The Teacher's Guide to Successful Professional Development.
The issue of well-being at work for teachers is important to Elizabeth. She has run professional development courses on the subject with Kevin McCarthy of Re:membering Education and is currently writing a book for Kogan Page entitled, 'Teacher Well-being: looking after yourself and your career in the classroom'.