Welcome to Newingate School
Module 6: Managing Work-Life Harmony
Introduction to (Year 2) Module 6:
This module consists of 6 weeks of learning:
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Week 1: What is Work-Life Harmony and Why is it Important?
Week 2: Assessing Your Wellbeing and Work-Life Harmony.
Week 3: Approaches to Enhancing your Wellbeing and Work-Life Harmony
Weeks 4 -5: Practicing Wellbeing Strategies to Enhance your Work-Life Harmony.
Week 6: Reflecting on your ECT years and planning next steps
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The Learn that... and Learn how to statements covered within this module are captured on the ECF Induction Programme mapping document.
Week 1: What is Work-Life Harmony and why is it important?
This week we will explore what work-life harmony is and why it is important for you as a teacher. In doing so we will consider what is meant by wellbeing and work-life balance and explore the current landscape of wellbeing in the teaching profession. We will then consider the impact of negative wellbeing.
Teachers' Standards:
Evidence and Research:
Let's begin this module by clarifying what we mean by the terms associated with wellbeing and workload that are often used.
Wellbeing:
The World Health Organisation defines wellbeing in the following way:
"Wellbeing exists in two dimensions, subjective and objective. It comprises an individual’s experience of their life as well as a comparison of life circumstances with social norms and values.”
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This, perhaps does not go far in helping us to consider what wellbeing actually means. Davis (2024) offers a little more concrete definition in an article for Psychology Today:
"Well-being is the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity. It includes having good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or purpose, and the ability to manage stress. More generally, well-being is just feeling well."
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You may have your own way to describe what you understand wellbeing to be. Whichever, definition we align with, there is at its core, the idea of being well both physically and mentally and that in achieving such wellness we feel happier, less stressed and content and, in turn, tend to be more productive, less drive by our emotions and more able to manage the challenges of day to day life.
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Work-Life Balance:
It is often argued that to achieve wellbeing we must have a good work-life balance with the absence of such leading to a reduction in our wellbeing.
Take a few minutes to read the excerpt below, taken from Carden & Bethune, 2022 'Teacher Well-Being: Are Doughnuts in the Staffroom Enough?' in Carden (2022) Primary Teaching: Learning and Teaching in Primary Schools Today. This excerpt explores challenges the idea of work-life balance suggesting alternatives.
As you read through this, take time to reflect upon the critical questions posed, in relation to your own wellbeing.
You may already be aware of the reports around teacher wellbeing which have been in the media for several years now.
Teacher wellbeing is an ongoing challenge for not only individuals working within the profession, in terms of their own wellbeing but for those in positions of leadership, in attempting to address this challenge.
Read through the most recent Education Support Wellbeing Index report which offers a range of data gained from teachers nationally:​
As you can see from the Wellbeing Index (2024), there are some challenges being faced by teachers in terms of achieving wellbeing and a positive work-life harmony.
When this continues over a period of time a range of negative impacts can be experienced by teachers such as increased stress and mental health issues, anxiety and ultimately burnout and with this a reduction in job satisfaction.
This also affects the school and its pupils as teachers who are experiencing poor levels of wellbeing are less equipped to support the well being of the pupils with whom they work. Productivity and effectiveness often reduces, absence rates of staff increase and ultimately schools can see higher rates of staff attrition - all of which also ultimately negatively impact the pupils.
Mental Health UK (2025) highlight the symptoms of burnout in their Burnout Report:
Whilst we may identify with experiencing some of these symptoms, that does not indicate that we are burnt out. It is when we experience multiple physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms that we need to consider if we may be heading towards burn out and should be addressed. Burnout does not go away on its own (Mental Health UK, 2025).
Ideally, however, we do not want to reach this point and by being aware of our own wellbeing and effectively and positively managing our work-life harmony, we can avoid symptoms of, and ultimately burnout. We will explore this in week 2.
Reflection and Discussion
Take a moment to reflect upon what you have learned this week and synthesise this learning. Reflecting upon the following questions will support you:
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What do you understand by the term wellbeing? How would you describe wellbeing?
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What do you think about the idea of achieving work-life balance? Is this achievable? Could this cause more stress than is addresses?
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How might you describe work-life harmony? How is this different to work-life balance?
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How do you feel about the findings of the Wellbeing Index (2024)? How does this chime with your own experiences? How does it differ?
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What do you understand the impacts of poor wellbeing to be? Who does this affect? What might this ultimately lead to? Who would this affect?
References
Carden, C & Bethune, A. (2022) Teacher Well-Being: are doughnuts in the staffroom enough? in Carden, C. (2022) Primary Teaching: Learning and Teaching in Primary Schools Today 2nd Ed. London. Learning Matters.
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Davis, T. (2024) What is Well-being? Definition, Tyoes and Well-Being Skills. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/click-here-for-happiness/201901/what-is-well-being-definition-types-and-well-being-skills
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Education Support (2024) Teacher Wellbeing Index 2024. Available at: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/media/ftwl04cs/twix-2024.pdf
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Mental Health UK (2025) The Burnout Report. Available at: https://euc7zxtct58.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/16142505/Mental-Health-UK_The-Burnout-Report-2025.pdf
Mental Health UK (no date) Burnout. Available at: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
Week 2: Assessing Your Wellbeing and Work-Life Harmony
This week we will focus on assessing your current wellbeing and work-life harmony using different two different approaches and frameworks to do so. You will reflect on what you already do to effectively contribute to your wellbeing and work-life harmony and consider things you might need to do or further develop. You will be introduced to some suggestions too which you may draw upon in week 3.
Teachers' Standards:
Reflection and Discussion
Take a moment to reflect on your own wellbeing.
Use the scale below to identify where you feel your current well being is - with 0 being non-existent and 10 being excellent.
Note this down as we will revisit this at the end of this module.
Now you have identified the scaled score for your wellbeing, spend a couple of minutes noting down the reasons for this - you do not need to write in full sentences - noting key words or phrases will be enough.
Consider what it is that positively contributes to this score and the things that are negatively affecting your score. These can be things associated with work or beyond work.
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Now repeat this process but score your work-life harmony:
Now take a moment to reflect on this question:
If you were to wake up tomorrow morning and your wellbeing and work-life harmony scores were at 10.
How would you feel?
What would work and life look like?
What would you look like?
What would this sound like?
What would this smell like?
What would this taste like?
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Whilst these questions may seem a little odd - they are taken from the idea of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and encourage you to engage with your senses, especially those we engage with less often.
Evidence and Research:
Irrespective of your scores in the above activities, and where you are now, the good news is that through employing a range of approaches and strategies we can enhance our wellbeing and work-life harmony (Davis, 2024).
However, you need to own your own wellbeing and work-life harmony - no one else can address this for you. Often the blame for poor wellbeing is put upon schools yet whilst it is the responsibility of a school to provide frameworks that support the wellbeing and positive work-life harmony of their staff, your wellbeing and work-life harmony is not the responsibility of your school or your line manager. Neither is it the responsibility of your family or friends...
To help us consider how we can consider our wellbeing and work-life harmony, Health in Mind developed 5 Ways to Wellbeing. This is a good starting to to assess what we are doing well and where we need to improve.
Take a moment to read through the 5 Ways to Wellbeing Poster below. Further information can be accessed at their website.
Reflection and Discussion
Take each of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing and using the template below, consider the approaches, strategies and engagement you already undertake in each area as well as noting down things that you need to further improve or could do.
You may want to score each area out of 10 to reflect where you are now.
When you have completed this - reflect upon which areas might require further focus. Is there an element that you feel you need to invest more in?
Evidence and Research:
Here are some other approaches and strategies that you could consider:
Collaborative Working: Collaboration supports connection and creates a sense of belonging. It also supports a reduction in workload through sharing ideas, problem-solving and distributing tasks. Consider how you can work alongside colleagues to offer and gain support. As an ECT collaboration can offer valuable support as you develop as a teacher. Often teachers will say that they do not have time to collaborate, yet this is time well spent and an investment in reducing workload in the longer-term.
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Take a Lunch Break: Taking a break from work for lunch supports you to regenerate your energy for what lays ahead in the afternoon. Often teachers work through lunch breaks yet despite thinking that this is helpful, it can make you less productive in the afternoons and thus achieve less. Taking time out at lunchtime can support connection, being active and taking notice, depending on how you spend this time.
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Meditation: Meditating can help to empty your mind and be present. A short meditation built into your week on as many days as possible can support you to regulate your emotions. You can even do this during your lunch break or with your class! Julie Smith offers a quick yet impactful 12 minute meditation that can be undertaken sat in a chair. Engaging with regular meditation will support you to take notice.
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Walk more often: This might seem easier said than done, yet there are ways in which you can add walking into your daily routine. Consider walking to and from work or if this is not possible, use your lunch break to take yourself on a short walk. Getting outside not only increases your activity but enables you to take notice. Nature has a positive impact on wellbeing.
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Listen to a podcast or audio book: Use your journey to and from work or time spent on your lunchtime walk listening to a podcast or audio book, learning about something you have an interest in. This supports the idea of keep learning whilst also potentially being active!
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Be kind: Challenge yourself to do a kind thing each day - something over and above. Notice how this impacts your wellbeing. This not only supports 'giving' but also can support connection too. In addition to this do not feel ashamed to ask for help from your colleagues as this enables others to give - and remember to offer to help colleagues in return! Teaching is not a solo enterprise...
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Set Boundaries: Ensure you set boundaries as to working from home. Set a time limit for work and stick to this. Prioritisation is key here - get what is urgent and important completed and re-schedule the rest. Allow yourself downtime from your screen ahead of going to sleep - at least an hour.
We will explore potential approaches to enhancing your wellbeing and work-life harmony next week.
References
Davis, T. (2024) What is Well-being? Definition, Tyoes and Well-Being Skills. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/click-here-for-happiness/201901/what-is-well-being-definition-types-and-well-being-skills
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Health in Mind (no date) Your 5 Ways to Wellbeing. Available at: https://health-in-mind.org.uk/resources/5-ways-to-wellbeing/
Week 3: Approaches to Enhancing your Wellbeing and Work-Life Harmony
This week we will explore the core elements of your work and life, where you are now and where you would like to be. From this we will explore effective and robust goal setting and establishment of actions to begin to commence a process of enhancing wellbeing and work-life harmony.
Teachers' Standards:
Reflection and Discussion
Download the 'Wheel of Life' below - you can use this on your PC or print off and handwrite this activity - whichever you prefer.
If working on a PC - you can click to add text and use the draw functions when adding lines.
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You will have come across the Wheel of Life/Coaching Wheel in module 4 when exploring coaching approaches.
We are going to use this coaching tool to support you in developing your wellbeing and work-life harmony.
Now take a moment to watch the video as you complete your own coaching wheel.
Now you have completed your coaching wheel to support an exploration of your current and desired wellbeing and work-life harmony - it is important to respond to this by taking positive action.
This will involve setting robust goals.
Take a moment to watch this short video around goal setting and work alongside the video to set yourself a goal to engage with across the next two weeks.
First - download and print off the 'Understand Your Goal' (coachingtools.com, n.d) template (below).
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
You now have a clear goal to focus on for the next 2 weeks that will positively impact your wellbeing and work-life harmony. remember - do not over expect! This is the first step...of what may be many...
To prepare for the next fortnight, you now need to set some actions.
Watch the short video below as I talk through this with you.
References
MindTools (no date) The Wheel of Life.
CoachingTools.com (no date) Understanding Your Goals.
Week 4: Practicing Wellbeing Strategies to Enhance your Work-Life Harmony.
This week we will review the actions set last week and consider how you are progressing towards the goal you set. In doing so we will consider your feelings and emotions as well as the impact of these actions so far through using a coaching approach, via a pre-recorded video.
Teachers' Standards:
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
This week is 'light touch' as you are focused on working towards you established goal. Yet, this is a point to reflect upon and evaluate the actions you set last week and to set actions for next week.
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Take a moment to watch the video below which forms a very brief 'remote coaching session'.
Week 5: Practicing Wellbeing Strategies to Enhance your Work-Life Harmony.
This week you will continue to work towards achieving the goal you set by working on the actions you set last week to enhance your wellbeing and work-life harmony.
Teachers' Standards:
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
Remind yourself of the actions you set yourself at the end of last week for the week ahead.
Make sure you allocate the resources needed to meet the actions.
At the end of this week review the actions. You may find the following questions useful to help you:
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Have you achieved your actions?
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How has achieving these actions made you feel? What impact has this had?
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Were there actions you have not achieved? What are the reasons for this?
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How do you plan to address the actions you have not yet achieved?
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Were there specific barriers to not being able to achieve these actions? How could you remove or reduce these barriers?
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Now let's look at the goal you set:
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Have you achieved your goal?
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What evidence is there of this?
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Has achieving this goal impacted positively on your wellbeing and work-life harmony?
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How does this feel?
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What does this look like?
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What steps will you take to embed the changes you have made?
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What next?
Now revisit your coaching wheel. Look at the area you chose to focus your goal on. Has there been a shift in where you are? If there has add this to your wheel in a third colour.
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You can use the approach we have used to address each element of your wheel - setting goals and actions then reviewing these. Do not move on too quickly - allow yourself time to embed actions and changes to approach and behaviours - too much change can be overwhelming so pace yourself! Focus on addressing an area of your coaching wheel at a time - you my need to focus on a series of goals to address the imbalance and to reach your aspiration for each element and some areas will take work, time and commitment.
Week 6: Reflecting on your ECT Years and Planning Next Steps
This week we will look back across your ECT years and reflect on the progress you have made alongside looking forward to year 3 of your teaching career and establishing an action plan linked to the Teachers' Standards. Your reflections and work this week will inform the final ECT meeting.
Teachers' Standards:
Reflection and Discussion
ECT Reports
Take a look back over the 5 ECT reports that have been written across the course of your ECT years.
The ECT Induction Tutor will email these to you in time for this week, if not sooner.
Reflect on how you have developed as a teacher across the two years.
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Lesson Observation Reports
Now do the same for your lesson observation reports - you will have these from your mentor and induction tutor.
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You may want to note down the following:
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The areas where you feel you have developed the most
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The things you are most proud of
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Things you have found most challenging
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Areas you need to further develop.
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Now take time to reflect using Brookfield's four lenses. You will bring this reflection to your final ECT meeting with your mentor and induction tutor.
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
Post ECT Years Professional Development Plan
As a teacher, it is important to continue to invest in your personal and professional development.
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Using your reflection, above, as a starting point. Draft a professional development plan for year 3 of your teaching career using the template below.
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Avoid adding any additional rows - 5 areas of focus is more than enough!
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Developing in your career is about building your knowledge, understanding and skills in a deep and meaningful way that allows for sustained growth and development. Biting off more than you can chew will not achieve that and can actually cause regression!
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Before you embark on drafting the professional development plan, you may find watching the webinar below on creating your own career path.
Final ECT Review Meeting
Bring your reflections and professional development plan (draft) to your final ECT Review Meeting to discuss and refine alongside your ECT Mentor and Induction Tutor.
Sharing this plan will enable appropriate support to be put in place as you move forward into your teaching career.
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​Reviewing the ECT Experience and Programme
It would be useful if you could take some time to complete the following review of your ECT experience and programme to enable the school to refine and develop. Your thoughts are valuable!
CONGRATULATIONS
on completing your ECT programme!!!!
