The challenge

Recruitment and retention of teachers within the UK education system is in crisis; a situation exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests teacher wellbeing must be enhanced and supported, as 63% of education staff report that they have considered leaving the sector due to workload according to the 2020 Teacher Wellbeing Index.

Research impact - Catharsis, celebration and perspective

The ‘Reimagining the Diary’ project shows that a flexible, creative approach to diary-keeping, alongside engagement with a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) community, is an effective tool for improving teachers’ wellbeing on both a personal and professional level.

Findings from the study reveal that this leads to educators who are equipped with healthy wellbeing practices, increasing their resilience and making them more likely to stay in the profession. Participating teachers have responded positively, with one sharing on Twitter: “It feels really good to have landed in the #diarytoolkit [...] project where the launch offered high quality professional learning from @drlucykelly and @MartynReah, investing fully in how I support my own wellbeing, with the brief, important acknowledgement that in doing this I'll be investing in the wellbeing of my young people.” Further positive outcomes are better communication and more creative approaches to problem solving. This reflective diary-keeping experience has benefits for the entire school community through enhanced workplace relations and enriched teaching practice, leading to better outcomes for students. As a result, the Department for Education (DfE) have expressed keen interest in the study, and are planning further conversations to take this forwards. This may include a possible blog on best practices and teacher wellbeing, with the ‘Reimagining the Diary’ project featured as giving an example of a practical tool for school and colleges to use.

The Diary Toolkit (DT) is used by individuals in their own time, in combination with an ongoing CPD course and access to a wellbeing community, either online or within school. Creative partners Stand+Stare describe it as a “tangible and effective means to support teachers’ wellbeing”, noting the timely nature of this work and the importance of supporting busy teachers to take time for themselves. In the most recent phase of the project, the DT has been further developed in multiple different formats: as a physical book; a PDF; or as a set of bookmarks with an accompanying website. This can help education staff in different ways.

In the most recent study, 90% of participating teachers reported that being part of this wellbeing community had a positive impact on their personal and professional wellbeing, with 97% reporting that they would advise other teachers to use the DT. “It helps to put things in perspective, and getting something ‘out’ in the diary - especially an annoyance or worry - often stops it from being a problem,” reports one participant. According to another: “It has been an absolute life-saver in this pandemic. I do not think I would have been able to get through this without this Toolkit.”

Improved wellbeing does not only benefit the individual; staff who are encouraged to process and reflect become better communicators. Multiple responses cited ‘relationships/interactions with others’ as one of the many areas that the reflective practice helped with; two thirds of those comments mentioned ‘colleagues’ directly while the rest referred to ‘others’ more generally. This shows how reflective practice benefits the wider school community through improved relationships.