Wellbeing sessions as directed time. You will have fun and you will have it now!

[DrSeuss]

Just what we needed, a compulsory "well being" session as directed time on the last Monday of term! We all sat in the hall doing a quiz, wishing to God for it to end and feeling a little sorry for the woman who had been made to write and host the whole thing as it wasn't her fault or idea. Data capture for Y11 was due, as we were all painfully aware, so that might have been a more sensible thing for us to have been doing. All it meant was that we spent an hour doing something we all resented as taking up valuable time then had to put that hour back in later.

Does anyone else's school make well being sessions compulsory? How exactly does compulsory "fun" help?!

[TheClausSeason]

Mine doesn't do this rubbish. My sympathies, OP. Hope you get your data in soon.

[motortroll]

We had an inset day on well being. I was pissed off and eye rolly but ended up enjoying it! We did mindfulness and yoga. After that I took up yoga!

I'd have been more annoyed having it at Christmas. For our actual wellbeing at Xmas we have a school closure "shopping"day at end of November/early December much more effective.

I am totally with you, can't usually stand enforced fun!

[bananahood]

I suppose the flip side is that it's one less useless training session where you leave with a longer to do list than the one you arrived with? I agree all this well-being stuff is ordinarily very patronising.

[1066vegan]

My last after-school staff meeting is a "fun" one. Unfortunately it clashes with my dd's parents evening so my Head said that I don't have to attend.



I may have forgotten to mention that my first appointment isn't until 7. 😉

[astuz]

The only way staff-wellbeing sessions work, is if teachers are just given the hour to do what they want i.e. go home, get on top of work etc.

Weak/micro-managing managers won't ever do this though, because they feel that they've got to be seen to be "doing something". There's a lot of that kind of management in teaching, I don't know why, and it drives me mad!

Fortunately, I'm in a school with good management, who did just give us an hour off i.e. no meeting that week. Much better!

[PenOrPencil]

Oh how I would love to waste an hour doing a quiz in the hall... said no teacher ever!

[MsJaneAusten]

I was told how goody mental health should be last week. Ta. That’ll help.

[BG2015]

We have INSET on the first Monday back. Our head suggested a team building type activity somewhere - I presume to tick the well being box.

Lots of us moaned as after 2 weeks off you just want to get on with work and sort stuff out in your classroom. Now I think we're having some sort of motivational talk which again is a waste of time.

I hate being dictated to like this.

[TheClausSeason]

We had no staff meeting today and I got a few jobs ticked off instead. That's helped my wellbeing enormously.

[noideaatallreally]

The week after returning to work after being signed off work for 2 months with work related stress I was told off for not being enthusiastic enough with my team. I had been directed to complete a questionaire about stress and how well the school was helping to support staff.

I really didn't feel in any way able to enthuse about the chair yoga, role playing or car washes that had been suggested as a way to relieve stress brought on by constant book reviews, lesson obs, cut in salary, cut in curriculum time, brand new curriculum with no resources from the exam board, long term staff absence in my dept. etc etc.

How very unreasonable of me. I am just not a team player.

[noblegiraffe]

I had a compulsory mindfulness session at school during inset and tbh it was super relaxing and I nearly fell asleep. But then we had to slog on to the next pointless meeting and it all wore off.

Not had time since to put any of it into practice either.

[annabell22]

My school has two wellbeing weeks a year. We have no after school meetings (usually 2x week), have healthy and unhealthy snacks available, sometimes an optional staff activity, no newsletter required and can leave at 3pm (usually we finish at 4). Parents are told that it is staff wellbeing week and that they will not get a newsletter and shouldn't request appointments with teachers. I think it's a great initiative. It's almost as good as Ramadan hours (8-2 instead of 7-4).

[BackforGood]

Drives you barmy doesn't it ?
I tend to sit and ponder whether anyone genuinely thinks this is going to improve staff wellbeing and mental health, or if they are just resigned to it being another box to tick / hoop to jump through and are taking the "let's just get it over with" line.

[StrongerThanIThought76]

Our wellbeing session was on the last day of term. Kids left at midday, we had to stay until 3 for festive fun and games...