Strategies for a healthy work-life balance

Don’t burn out

Here are our strategies for creating a good work-life balance as a teacher:

1. Set personal boundaries and stick to them. This will be different for every teacher but could include never working on a Saturday or setting aside a limited number of hours for marking.

2. Be ruthless about non-essentials. Naturally, you’ll want to appear keen during your first year but the priority should be having the energy to teach, not volunteering for extra-curricular activities.

3. Don’t respond to emails in your own time. Unless there’s a real emergency, most emails can wait. Replying instantly sets expectations that you’re always contactable.

4. Eat well, exercise and make time for friends and family. Staying healthy will give you the energy you need to make it through the year.

5. Take a look online for efficient marking strategies. Remember, Ofsted has clarified that it doesn’t expect to see books full of written feedback so you have the freedom to mark in the way that suits you and your pupils best.