I have taken a break from my usual recruitment break to share an excellent resource with you.
Having taken this time away from working in schools, I have been surrounded by a new group of friends (not teachers) and I have noticed, more than anything else, how positive they are.
Yet when I met a group of teachers within this same community, the conversation quickly developed into negativity and unhappiness. This does not just reflect my current community, I have identified this to be the case in schools in which I have worked.
Moving abroad is amazing. But if the job is just as stressful and demanding as home, which it very often is, you need to find ways of coping. Beyond a school-issued the ‘free donut’ , coffee machine (although I did love that initiative!) or yoga sessions to raise staff well-being.
So what do I suggest to support personal happiness?
As I transitioned from working at schools in June, I began working on my personal development. I came across Mo Gawdat’s ‘Solve for Happy’. After I read this, I began to follow his podcast, ‘Slo Mo’.
On this podcast Mark Williamson was featured. In his younger years, Mark worked in a very busy, ‘full on’ environment, where he was doing well. However, he recognised he needed to change his way of working due to health issues, and felt a strong urge to help others. He developed the charity, ‘Action for Happiness’.
You can follow a 10-day positivity plan, however what I found even more interesting was the training he provides for individuals to become a happiness coach. Once trained, a coach works in the community to have weekly check-ins with a group. The groups offer the chance to meet others near you who care about happiness, learn more about how to live a happy life and take action that makes a meaningful life. Each month the group explores one of the 10 Keys to Happier Living, evidence-based ways to create a happier and more meaningful life. (Actionforhappiness.org).
What I love about the idea of these groups is that they build community, perhaps with a mix of individuals both inside and outside of teaching. It is an opportunity to meet like-minded people locally, explore the monthly theme, and set personal actions to take forward in your own life.
If you live internationally you only need a partner to set one up.
Consider the change this could support could offer for teachers.
The next time you hear a conversation turning negative, or you identify others’ around you struggling with happiness, perhaps this is something you could suggest?
Building community as an international teacher is one of the best ways to settle and adjust. How about building your community based in kindness, happiness and care?
“Supporting your community in which you live can be hugely rewarding and it is a way you can make a difference.” (Becoming a Successful International Teacher, 2021, p.99)
Ways to connect with me:
Via LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-gosling
Via X @jessgosling2
Via Instagram @internationalteachertravel
Via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/newtointernationalschoolteachers/
Website: http://www.jessgoslingearlyyearsteacher.com
Purchase my book here.
New to International Teaching with Jess Gosling 