Exodus

Some of you right now are barely making it through this term, and are so dreading the return to school the following morning that you can’t even enjoy your evenings. The idea of going back to That Place just makes you sick to your stomach. You want to quit more than anything but have no idea what the alternative would be.

When a teacher wishes they had a car accident on the way to school just to avoid being there is a sure sign of a school hurtling towards failure. The signs are all there and the pandemic does exacerbate the situation.

There’s a quite popular saying that goes: “employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their managers.” And there’s a lot of truth in that saying if you think about it.

We can’t say that this popular saying is 100% true at all times though: there are many different things that impact any employee’s happiness at work, there are other reasons besides their manager that are just as likely to drive employees to quit. But all things considered, you still can’t overlook the impact your manager typically has on your work-life. It couldn’t be more true than if you’re so unlucky as to have a bad manager.

The ill effects of stress on teachers are obvious and easily recognised.  Stressed teachers will be likely to be more easily agitated, less tolerant, quick to judge and of course feel fatigued and run down.  They will often be rushing or at least feel rushed inside.  Their body will not be the only mechanism to signal high levels of stress.  Their mind will be suffering.  Negative thoughts are likely to be rampant and the inner critic is usually at the helm.  They will have little or no head space.  Their creativity will be stunted and their ability to think clearly will take great effort.  Their emotional landscape is potentially in tatters.  Self esteem can plummet and low morale is common when teachers are out of balance.

The ill effects of stressed teachers on learning are equally obvious.  Learning is less likely to take place if the teacher isn’t well.

The short-term effect of all this is that staff will quit their job. Watch out for those experienced teachers who can't take any more BS from their school.

The long-term effect is that the place will become one of those badly-managed international schools claiming to be a 'top British school' with just a new building, a large 'leadership' body and a huge employee turnover. 

Teachers who feel this way have to be honest with themselves. They need to consider the long term effect on their morale, their well being and their families'. They may have no alternative but to leave. Although by doing so they themselves contribute to the high turnover rate of educational staff, it is their own welfare they should think about, not the health of the school. No one is indispensable. In fact, each teacher is just a job advert away from being replaced.

Mark my words: despite the limited alternatives at present, the Exodus is about to begin.