Hey! I’m Gemma
I’m the Teacher Boundaries Queen.
I am a qualified Educational Wellbeing Coach. I provide coaching, training and supervision to educators.
I used to be a Religious Studies teacher, Head of Year and Co-Head of Department.
And I loved it!
I loved the students. I loved the fact that every day was different. I loved being busy (I’m a recovering workaholic) and teaching felt like I had finally come home. I gave teaching everything.
All of my time. All of my energy. All of my focus.
I reached a point where I couldn’t give anymore.
Although stress was a part of my working day, I began experiencing anxiety, low mood and panic attacks. I was signed off work. I dropped my middle leadership roles and went part time.
But the damage was done.
I left my teaching career at the end of 2019. Battered, bruised and utterly broken.
At the time, I blamed teaching. It was teaching’s fault that I hadn’t prioritised my needs. It was teaching’s fault that I didn’t say no to taking on more work. It was teaching’s fault that I had burnt out. But then it hit me…
I had chosen not to have any boundaries in teaching.
Yes, teaching is a ridiculously challenging job but we make it so much harder for ourselves when we do not recognise - and prioritise - our needs.
When teaching is left to encroach on all areas of your life, it is impossible to switch off from it.
It’s with you when you wake up in the morning.
It’s with you when you drive to school.
It consumes all of your time and energy during the day, leaving you no time to pause let alone pop to the loo!
It comes home with you at night when you keep working at the expense of your wellbeing and spending quality time with your loved ones.
And for good measure, you go to bed (eventually, once most of the work is done) thinking about school too.
It’s exhausting!
And you’re left wondering, “How much more of this can I take?”
Another year?
Another term?
Another week?
Another day?
If you are at this point, what you need are BOUNDARIES.
My B.O.U.N.D.A.R.I.E.S. Framework helps you to:
Prioritise your own needs so that you can be a positive and impactful teacher.
Create the work-life balance that you crave.
Say no professionally and confidently.
Celebrate your achievements and recognise your teacher awesomeness!
Manage and even reduce your workload!
Benefit from realistic and manageable expectations.
Be the best middle leader you can be because when you thrive your students and colleagues thrive with you!