Ep 1: If Not Now, When?

If you’re a teacher (or you know someone who is), then it won’t be news to you that educators everywhere are suffering from burnout – and is it any wonder, when you consider everything teachers have to be prepared for?

It’s not just about the lesson plans, the class schedules, and the working day that never really ends at 3 pm. 

It’s the beautifully heavy emotional load that comes with educating young people – only to look more closely and realise that each of them are carrying an emotional load of their own.

They get sad, and scared, and tired – just as all of us do – and in a class of 30, that makes for thousands of complex emotions every single day. Most teachers try their best, but there are some problems that even a cupcake and a hot cup of Milo can’t solve. 

Still, the joy of teaching and soaking in the hope and promise of the next generation keeps most of us coming back year after year, more burned out than ever, and in all of this, there is one very important lesson we’re missing: 

Only educators who can take care of themselves are in a good position to look after their students – and only when we stop “performing” can we find out just how well we really are.  

Yes, burnout is a huge problem amongst teachers, but – like every unsolved problem – there is a solution, and it all starts with a lesson in wellbeing. 

The first episode of The School of Wellbeing Podcast is all about my journey from childhood to teaching and the hard lessons I learned along the way.    

So what’s this episode really about?

• That wellbeing is a verb and requires deliberate action.
• The question every hard-working educator needs to ask themselves. 
• Going on the journey to learn how to feel, function, and relate better.
• The importance of developing the skills to navigate tough times. 

Why you should listen

In every career, there is a moment where things get real – and for educators, dealing with fragile, malleable young minds, that moment often comes early in the piece. If you or a family member or friend has faced mental health struggles, this episode will hit harder than any lesson you’ve learned in a classroom.  

Ways to connect with Meg

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You can quote me on that

“When I spent my four years training to be a teacher, there was no talk about wellbeing – no talk about what to do when a student’s falling apart, or the human side of the role. And so what did I do? I did what my mum would do – and mum would provide comfort, reassurance and then get the help required.”

– Meg Durham

“At the end of the day, when we go to bed at night and we’re worried, generally, it’s about human issues. It’s about relationships. It’s not so much about the content – it’s about the human side of life, and this is the area of life that we don’t have much education in. It’s an area that we can develop.”

– Meg Durham

Want to learn more?

The learning doesn’t have to stop here. Get your free dose of wellbeing education in your inbox with Meg’s Thought Of The Week. Click here to subscribe.  

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