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Mental Health Awareness for Employers in ELT (IATEFL Liverpool 2019)

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Phil Longwell
Phil Longwell

This document provides information on mental health awareness for employers in English language teaching (ELT). It begins with an introduction and background from the author, including a disclaimer that they are not medically trained. It then asks 5 questions from the author's research on mental health in ELT. These questions address issues like disclosing mental health conditions during interviews, factors that cause stress for ELT teachers, and how employers can support teacher mental health. The document provides discussion of the questions and references various sources on topics like training employers, recognizing symptoms of poor mental health, and teachers' experiences with support in the workplace.

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Mental Health Awareness for Employers in ELT Phil Longwell @teacherphili Hotel Suite 1 3 April 2018
The story so far… • Interview with TaWSIG for Time to Talk Day • – Feb 2017. • Research into the Mental Health of English Language Teachers - December 2017. • Talk at IATEFL - Brighton 2018. • Webinars for IATEFL, International House and Braz-Tesol. • Workshops at LONDOSA, ELT Malta and English UK Academic conference. • Article in EL Gazette.
Disclaimer! • I am not a medically trained professional • I am not qualified to give training but I can draw on: • Research. • Webinars and workshops already given. • Personal experience. • Others’ books and blogs. • Others’ personal stories.
Background Source: Education Support Partnership / YouGov. (2017) Health Survey 2017. Available at: https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/resources/research-reports/2017- health-survey
Source: Nicholls, C. (2018) Employers must do more to protect the mental health of staff in The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/employers-do-more- protect-mental-health-staff Headlines
Source: https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/17/mental-health- sufferers-like-will-thrive-employers-step-support-us-8347537/ Headlines Source: https://www.tes.com/news/teachers-work-more- unpaid-overtime-anyone-else
5 Questions from my Research • Is it ever right to disclose a mental health condition upfront or in an interview? • What are the factors that cause stress in ELT? • In what ways can employers and institutions support the mental health or wellbeing of its employees? • How confident do you feel at recognising symptoms of poor mental health in teachers? • Have you ever received training in how to support teachers’ mental health?
Question 1. Is it ever right to disclose a mental health condition upfront or in an interview?
Tom Rogers in TES https://www.tes.com/news/too-many-teachers-still-fear-being-honest-about-their-mental-health
Question 2. What are the factors that cause stress in ELT? Perfectionism Workload Working conditions Job Insecurity Poor Pay Zero hour contracts Demanding parents Misbehaving students Homesickness Lack of support Meeting Deadlines Culture Shock Excessive responsibilities Unrealistic Expectations Demanding parents Constant observations Imposter Syndrome Harassment / Bullying Peer Pressure Administration Duties Threat of Inspection Individual Learning Plans
Stress occurs “when there is a mismatch between perceived pressures of the work situation and the individual’s ability to cope with it.” (Education Service Advisory Committee, 1990, cited in Eyre, p.12) Image source: The Stress Bucket Model. https://www.mentalhealth-uk.org/stressbucket Photo credit: Meriol Kitchell.
Question 3. In what ways can employers and institutions support the mental health or wellbeing of its employees? • ‘Training’ • ‘Counselling’ • ‘Pay’ • ‘job security’ • ‘working conditions’
On Working Conditions… • “Trainings and retreats sound like a great idea. Job security, solid pay, and plenty of paid non- teaching time. Having an immediate supervisor/manager who is a teacher and acts as an advocate for teachers (as opposed to having an adversarial relationship with teachers, which unfortunately seems to be common).” • “Respect teaching as lifelong career. Support teachers struggling with managers and owners who are clearly suffering from exploitative employment. Create special interest groups supporting and networking teachers struggling for safe pay, conditions, and terms of employment. Work to free teachers from discrimination. Recognise our rights and advocate for them.” • “By recognising that teachers are already overwhelmed by their current workload and that much of the admin can be shifted to other staff. Not requiring onerous compliance or evidence of suitability to teach once job is secured; if you are qualified you shouldn’t have to justify your position. Recognising that teachers require time to plan and design lessons, particularly in institutions that do not have set course materials or resources. By providing adequate resources. Having support staff to deal with enrolment, course completion and student counselling.”
Source: Walsh, P. (2018) http://www.teachersasworkers.org/the-well-being-talking-shop/ The well-being talking shop “I’m worried that too much of a focus on the psychology and well-being of teachers detracts from the broader systemic issues that cause these issues in the first place.” (anonymous)
• How confident do you feel at recognising symptoms of poor mental health in teachers? Question 4.
• How confident do you feel at recognising symptoms of poor mental health in teachers? Activity: Find some descriptions of conditions on the handouts.There are 4 on each handout and 8 in total. Discuss one set of conditions only (1-4 or 5-8) in pairs or groups and decide what kind of diagnosed condition this is describing.
Condition 1: • A person who is X will have at least two of the following symptoms for at least two weeks: • An unusually sad mood that does not go away • Loss of enjoyment and interest in activities that used to be enjoyable • Lack of energy and tiredness. Further possible symptoms of X: • Loss of confidence in themselves or poor self- esteem • Feeling guilty when they are not really at fault • Wishing they were dead • Difficulty in concentrating or making decisions • Moving more slowly or somethings becoming agitated and unable to settle • Having difficulty in sleeping or sleeping too much • Changes in eating habits may lead to either weight loss or putting on weight. Depression
• Increased energy.The person may suddenly be able to do far more than usual.They will appear restless and can go for long periods with little or no sleep. • Elated mood.The person will fill high, on the top of the world, somewhat invincible. • Rapid thinking and speech:The person may talk too much, too fast and keeping changing the subject. • Lack of inhibitions: The person may disregard risks, spend money extravagantly, be unusually direct in expressing opinions. • Grandiose Delusions:These involve very inflated self-esteem / ego.The person going through this can even lead to believing that they have special powers or are an important religious figure. (Hyper) ManiaCondition 2:
• People with X have extreme mood swings. • They experience often extreme low and high phases, often with periods of ‘normal’ mood in between. • In the high phase, someone with X may have huge amounts of energy and feel little need for sleep.They may think and talk faster than usual, and their thoughts may jump rapidly from one subject to another, making them easily distracted and conversation difficult. • In the low phase, people can feel hopeless, despairing and lethargic, full of self-blame and self-doubt and have difficulty concentrating.This can make it difficult to cope with everyday life. People may withdraw from friends and social contacts, and they may feel suicidal. Condition 3: Bipolar Disorder
• X is about overwhelming worry, even when there appears to be no signs of trouble. • A person with X might experience a fast or pounding heart, headaches, stomach pains, tremors, muscle tension, inability to relax, dizziness, sweating and a dry mouth. • Other common symptoms include excessive worry, irritability, restlessness, feeling on edge, difficulty concentrating, mind going blank and sleep disturbances. ▪ X can make it difficult for people to concentrate at work, function at home and generally get on with their lives. ▪ When symptoms have been present for a while the following might be noticed: ▪ Inability of difficulty in making decisions that would normally be easy. ▪ Continually seeking reassurance around everyday matters. Condition 4: Generalised Anxiety Disorder
• This form of anxiety is a very disabling condition. People experience thoughts of an obsessional or recurring nature accompanying feelings of anxiety. • These recurring thoughts are impulses or images that the person cannot get rid of it.These thoughts are unwanted and often inappropriate and cause marked anxiety in the person. • Common fears relate to contamination, causing harm to someone else, behaving unacceptably and also having the need for symmetry or exactness. • Repetitive behaviour can include counting silently or repeating certain words or phrases internally. It may not be obvious to others that someone is engaging in this behaviour just by appearance. Condition 5: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• People with X experience these changes in emotion and motivation: • Irritability • Suspiciousness • Blunted flat or inappropriate emotion • Change in appetite • Odd ideas • Reduced energy and motivation • Changes in thinking and perception • Difficulties with concentration or attention • Sense of alteration of self, others or the outside world – e.g. feeling that self or others have changed or are acting differently in some way. • Unusual perceptual experiences – e.g. a reduction or greater intensity of smell, sound or colour. Condition 6: Psychosis / Psychotic Disorder
• People who suffer from X get a sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear or terror. This is inappropriate or irrational given the circumstances in which it is occurring. • The person experiencing X often feel a sense of impending doom or even death. Many of the physical symptoms are dizziness, shaking, feeling sweaty, nausea, a rush of adrenalin, hyperventilating, numbness or tingling pains, pins and needles and increased heartbeat. • The amygdala is the primeval part of the body responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response.The amygdala is the reason we are afraid of things outside our control. It also controls the way we react to certain stimuli, or an event that causes an emotion, that we see as potentially threatening or dangerous. Condition 7: Panic Attacks / Panic Disorder
• People with X have a form of psychosis. The most common aspect of this condition are delusions, hallucinations and thinking difficulties. • Delusions are false beliefs.These can include beliefs of persecution, of guilt, of having a special mission or exalted birth or of being under outside control. • Hallucinations are false perceptions.They most commonly involve hearing voices.They can also experiencing and sensing things differently.This is especially the case when the voices make negative comments about the person or contain unpleasant ideas. • There may be difficulties in concentration, memory and ability to plan.These make it more difficult for the person to reason, communicate and complete daily tasks.These are also sometimes called cognitive impairments. • It does not mean having dual personality. Condition 8: Schizophrenia
Question: Could you say whether you felt supported in the workplace and in what ways? “Yes, my team at the university were amazing. Other lecturers who have also suffered from a similar experience talked to me. I was able to see a staff counsellor. It was the first time that I shared my own issues with anxiety as, for the past 10 years of working here, I had kept any problems to myself. I feel a lot better for being open about it. I have also been looking into doing research into teacher anxiety in ELT. I have noticed, in general education it is a much talked about subject but there is so little information in the ELT industry. At the university, I am a teacher trainer and I deal with ever increasing numbers of teacher trainees who really struggle with anxiety and depression. I feel as a trainer, if I could be more open about the subject it might help my trainees. I would express that I love my job as a teacher AND I suffer from anxiety. I haven't reached the stage of being able to do that yet but it is something that I am interested in doing. I would especially like to be able to talk about my experience in a positive way and provide research findings on the topic. I feel very strongly that this is something that can help people who are teachers or are training to be teachers in ELT.” (Source: Nicola Walker, a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire)
Question 5. • Have you ever received training in how to support teachers’ mental health? Bamboo Mental Health: http://bamboomentalhealth.co.uk/ MHFA England : https://mhfaengland.org/
How employers and line managers can be trained around this topic • Mental Health Support in the Workplace https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-support-mental-health-work “Good mental health at work and good management go hand in hand and there is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive. Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12%.” - Mental Health Foundation
How employers and line managers can be trained around this topic MHFA England : https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa- centre/news/mhfa-new-guidance-launch/
References: Devon, N. (2019). Mental health sufferers like me will only thrive once employers step up and support us. https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/17/mental-health-sufferers-like-will-thrive-employers-step-support-us- 8347537/ Education Support Partnership / YouGov. (2017) Health Survey 2017. Available at: https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/resources/research-reports/2017-health-survey Eyre, C. (2017) The Elephant in the Staffroom: How to Reduce Stress and Improve Teacher Wellbeing. Abingdon: Routledge. Henshaw, C (2019). Teachers work more unpaid overtime than anyone else in TES. Available at: https://www.tes.com/news/teachers-work-more-unpaid-overtime-anyone-else Longwell, P. (2018) The Mental Health of English Language Teachers: Research Findings. Available at: https://teacherphili.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/the-mental-health-of-english-language-teachers- research-findings/ Longwell, P. (2018b) Beneath the surface in EL Gazette. Available at: http://www.elgazette.com/item/517- beneath-the-surface.html Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England course (2015) www.mhfaengland.org Mental Health First Aid England Guidance: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/news/mhfa-new- guidance-launch/ Mental Health First Aid England Resources https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/resources/ Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ Millin, S. (2017) Useful links on mental health in ELT https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/useful-links-on-mental-health-in-elt/ Nicholls, C. (2018). Employers must do more to protect the mental health of staff in The Guardian. Accessed 21 November. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/employers-do- more-protect-mental-health-staff Rogers, T (2019). ‘Too many teachers still fear being honest about their mental health’ https://www.tes.com/news/too-many-teachers-still-fear-being-honest-about-their-mental-health
A-ZBookmarks 30 Ways to Mindfulness – New ‘Life Resourceful’ Site by Rachael Roberts A-Z of Self Care for Teachers | The Best Ticher (Elly Setterfield) Agi Enyedi - How to avoid teacher burnout (BC webinar) Be kind to yourself! - Neil Millington - TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC Beating Burnout & Avoiding Stress: Top Tips from/for Teachers – Clare's ELT Compendium Beneath the surface – Phil Longwell’s article in EL Gazette BESIG Blog: Five great ways to boost Language Trainer wellbeing Bonus task: Self-talk and teacher confidence (ELT Playbook 1) | Sandy Millin Bullying, harassment and workplace abuses: Kieran’s story | ELT Advocacy Ireland Burnout in ELT | iTDi Blog Employable Me | All at C Five Great ways to boost Language Trainer wellbeing - by Phil Nash - BESIG Blog Four ways in which teaching helps your mental health - Tom Rogers in TES FreeBook: Flipping the System - Routledge How Many Times Do You Have To Start Again, Again, Again…? – How To Fail At Life Successfully How should I deal with workplace anxiety? - Denise Cowle I’m a 1st Year Teacher and I’m Burned Out – Edmodo Blog IATEFL webinar (7 July 2018) on Mental Health Awareness for Employers – Recording for members Identifying and tackling teacher burnout | MET Impostor Syndrome – a post by Danielle H Da Silva Imposter Syndrome and how to deal with it – Chia Suan Chong (ETProfessional) Improving Mental Health in Schools – Natasha Devon article in TES
Interview for Teachers as Workers SIG by Phil Longwell It’s Time to Talk about mental health in ELT – Emma's Language Journey June issue 2018 – Cover | ELgazette Language Teacher Psychology – Achilleas Kostoulas LGBTQ mental health | Mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems Life Resourceful – Rachael Roberts Mental Health - There's a lot you can do. And you should. - iTDi Blog Mental health (in ELT) | Lauraahaha Mental Health | @TeacherToolkit Mental Health Media Charter (Natasha Devon) Mental Health in ELT – Lizzie Pinard Mental Wellbeing: Staff homepage - Health & Wellbeing - HR - The University of Sheffield Mind – The Mental Health Charity Mind Wide Open | Feet firmly on the ground Minds Matter: Psychology of language learning | Q&A - Oxford University Press Not surviving but thriving: Teacher psychology and professional wellbeing: A conversation with Sarah Mercer | ETAS PERMA for Teachers: Preventing Burnout with Positive Psychology – Christina Jones ELT Blog Plenary session by Sarah Mercer | IATEFL Online Psychosis - Potent cannabis increases risk of serious mental illness, says study (BBC) A-ZBookmarks
Sarah Mercer Macmillan Webinar - Strategies to promote and protect language teacher well-being Secret Teacher: Class, I wish I'd told you the truth about my mental health - The Guardian Stephen Ryan on Wellbeing – ELTOC 2019 webinar via Oxford University Press Stress Awareness Discussion Points #teacher5aday – Clare's ELT Compendium Supporting workplaces to be mentally healthy - Mind Teachers are at breaking point. It's time to push wellbeing up the agenda - Teacher Network / Guardian Teachers’ well-being and mental health: an #ELTchat summary – Muddles into Maxims Teaching can also support your mental health. Here's how (Tom Rogers) The Elephant In The (Staff) Room - Why We Need To Talk About Teacher Wellbeing - The Huffington Post The Pool - How to support a friend who is struggling with their mental health The Well-Being Talking Shop – Teachers as Workers Special Interest Group Time to talk about … mental health: Interview with Phil Longwell – TAWSIG Too many teachers still fear being honest about their mental health – Tom Rogers in TES Useful links on Mental Health in ELT | Sandy Millin What I learned from my burn out as a teach – Patrice Palmer What to do when you can’t stop criticising yourself | The Best Ticher Where’s Your Head At? - The Mental Health campaign to change the law in the UK Who is taking care of Teachers? – An Article by H. Richard Milner IV in Education Week Why mental health matters - ELTjam Wrestling with the darkness - BrELT - Ricardo Barros You don’t have to be mad to work here - The Secret DOS A-ZBookmarks

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Mental Health Awareness for Employers in ELT (IATEFL Liverpool 2019)

  • 1. Mental Health Awareness for Employers in ELT Phil Longwell @teacherphili Hotel Suite 1 3 April 2018
  • 2. The story so far… • Interview with TaWSIG for Time to Talk Day • – Feb 2017. • Research into the Mental Health of English Language Teachers - December 2017. • Talk at IATEFL - Brighton 2018. • Webinars for IATEFL, International House and Braz-Tesol. • Workshops at LONDOSA, ELT Malta and English UK Academic conference. • Article in EL Gazette.
  • 3. Disclaimer! • I am not a medically trained professional • I am not qualified to give training but I can draw on: • Research. • Webinars and workshops already given. • Personal experience. • Others’ books and blogs. • Others’ personal stories.
  • 4. Background Source: Education Support Partnership / YouGov. (2017) Health Survey 2017. Available at: https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/resources/research-reports/2017- health-survey
  • 5. Source: Nicholls, C. (2018) Employers must do more to protect the mental health of staff in The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/employers-do-more- protect-mental-health-staff Headlines
  • 7. 5 Questions from my Research • Is it ever right to disclose a mental health condition upfront or in an interview? • What are the factors that cause stress in ELT? • In what ways can employers and institutions support the mental health or wellbeing of its employees? • How confident do you feel at recognising symptoms of poor mental health in teachers? • Have you ever received training in how to support teachers’ mental health?
  • 8. Question 1. Is it ever right to disclose a mental health condition upfront or in an interview?
  • 9. Tom Rogers in TES https://www.tes.com/news/too-many-teachers-still-fear-being-honest-about-their-mental-health
  • 10. Question 2. What are the factors that cause stress in ELT? Perfectionism Workload Working conditions Job Insecurity Poor Pay Zero hour contracts Demanding parents Misbehaving students Homesickness Lack of support Meeting Deadlines Culture Shock Excessive responsibilities Unrealistic Expectations Demanding parents Constant observations Imposter Syndrome Harassment / Bullying Peer Pressure Administration Duties Threat of Inspection Individual Learning Plans
  • 11. Stress occurs “when there is a mismatch between perceived pressures of the work situation and the individual’s ability to cope with it.” (Education Service Advisory Committee, 1990, cited in Eyre, p.12) Image source: The Stress Bucket Model. https://www.mentalhealth-uk.org/stressbucket Photo credit: Meriol Kitchell.
  • 12. Question 3. In what ways can employers and institutions support the mental health or wellbeing of its employees? • ‘Training’ • ‘Counselling’ • ‘Pay’ • ‘job security’ • ‘working conditions’
  • 13. On Working Conditions… • “Trainings and retreats sound like a great idea. Job security, solid pay, and plenty of paid non- teaching time. Having an immediate supervisor/manager who is a teacher and acts as an advocate for teachers (as opposed to having an adversarial relationship with teachers, which unfortunately seems to be common).” • “Respect teaching as lifelong career. Support teachers struggling with managers and owners who are clearly suffering from exploitative employment. Create special interest groups supporting and networking teachers struggling for safe pay, conditions, and terms of employment. Work to free teachers from discrimination. Recognise our rights and advocate for them.” • “By recognising that teachers are already overwhelmed by their current workload and that much of the admin can be shifted to other staff. Not requiring onerous compliance or evidence of suitability to teach once job is secured; if you are qualified you shouldn’t have to justify your position. Recognising that teachers require time to plan and design lessons, particularly in institutions that do not have set course materials or resources. By providing adequate resources. Having support staff to deal with enrolment, course completion and student counselling.”
  • 14. Source: Walsh, P. (2018) http://www.teachersasworkers.org/the-well-being-talking-shop/ The well-being talking shop “I’m worried that too much of a focus on the psychology and well-being of teachers detracts from the broader systemic issues that cause these issues in the first place.” (anonymous)
  • 15. • How confident do you feel at recognising symptoms of poor mental health in teachers? Question 4.
  • 16. • How confident do you feel at recognising symptoms of poor mental health in teachers? Activity: Find some descriptions of conditions on the handouts.There are 4 on each handout and 8 in total. Discuss one set of conditions only (1-4 or 5-8) in pairs or groups and decide what kind of diagnosed condition this is describing.
  • 17. Condition 1: • A person who is X will have at least two of the following symptoms for at least two weeks: • An unusually sad mood that does not go away • Loss of enjoyment and interest in activities that used to be enjoyable • Lack of energy and tiredness. Further possible symptoms of X: • Loss of confidence in themselves or poor self- esteem • Feeling guilty when they are not really at fault • Wishing they were dead • Difficulty in concentrating or making decisions • Moving more slowly or somethings becoming agitated and unable to settle • Having difficulty in sleeping or sleeping too much • Changes in eating habits may lead to either weight loss or putting on weight. Depression
  • 18. • Increased energy.The person may suddenly be able to do far more than usual.They will appear restless and can go for long periods with little or no sleep. • Elated mood.The person will fill high, on the top of the world, somewhat invincible. • Rapid thinking and speech:The person may talk too much, too fast and keeping changing the subject. • Lack of inhibitions: The person may disregard risks, spend money extravagantly, be unusually direct in expressing opinions. • Grandiose Delusions:These involve very inflated self-esteem / ego.The person going through this can even lead to believing that they have special powers or are an important religious figure. (Hyper) ManiaCondition 2:
  • 19. • People with X have extreme mood swings. • They experience often extreme low and high phases, often with periods of ‘normal’ mood in between. • In the high phase, someone with X may have huge amounts of energy and feel little need for sleep.They may think and talk faster than usual, and their thoughts may jump rapidly from one subject to another, making them easily distracted and conversation difficult. • In the low phase, people can feel hopeless, despairing and lethargic, full of self-blame and self-doubt and have difficulty concentrating.This can make it difficult to cope with everyday life. People may withdraw from friends and social contacts, and they may feel suicidal. Condition 3: Bipolar Disorder
  • 20. • X is about overwhelming worry, even when there appears to be no signs of trouble. • A person with X might experience a fast or pounding heart, headaches, stomach pains, tremors, muscle tension, inability to relax, dizziness, sweating and a dry mouth. • Other common symptoms include excessive worry, irritability, restlessness, feeling on edge, difficulty concentrating, mind going blank and sleep disturbances. ▪ X can make it difficult for people to concentrate at work, function at home and generally get on with their lives. ▪ When symptoms have been present for a while the following might be noticed: ▪ Inability of difficulty in making decisions that would normally be easy. ▪ Continually seeking reassurance around everyday matters. Condition 4: Generalised Anxiety Disorder
  • 21. • This form of anxiety is a very disabling condition. People experience thoughts of an obsessional or recurring nature accompanying feelings of anxiety. • These recurring thoughts are impulses or images that the person cannot get rid of it.These thoughts are unwanted and often inappropriate and cause marked anxiety in the person. • Common fears relate to contamination, causing harm to someone else, behaving unacceptably and also having the need for symmetry or exactness. • Repetitive behaviour can include counting silently or repeating certain words or phrases internally. It may not be obvious to others that someone is engaging in this behaviour just by appearance. Condition 5: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • 22. • People with X experience these changes in emotion and motivation: • Irritability • Suspiciousness • Blunted flat or inappropriate emotion • Change in appetite • Odd ideas • Reduced energy and motivation • Changes in thinking and perception • Difficulties with concentration or attention • Sense of alteration of self, others or the outside world – e.g. feeling that self or others have changed or are acting differently in some way. • Unusual perceptual experiences – e.g. a reduction or greater intensity of smell, sound or colour. Condition 6: Psychosis / Psychotic Disorder
  • 23. • People who suffer from X get a sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear or terror. This is inappropriate or irrational given the circumstances in which it is occurring. • The person experiencing X often feel a sense of impending doom or even death. Many of the physical symptoms are dizziness, shaking, feeling sweaty, nausea, a rush of adrenalin, hyperventilating, numbness or tingling pains, pins and needles and increased heartbeat. • The amygdala is the primeval part of the body responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response.The amygdala is the reason we are afraid of things outside our control. It also controls the way we react to certain stimuli, or an event that causes an emotion, that we see as potentially threatening or dangerous. Condition 7: Panic Attacks / Panic Disorder
  • 24. • People with X have a form of psychosis. The most common aspect of this condition are delusions, hallucinations and thinking difficulties. • Delusions are false beliefs.These can include beliefs of persecution, of guilt, of having a special mission or exalted birth or of being under outside control. • Hallucinations are false perceptions.They most commonly involve hearing voices.They can also experiencing and sensing things differently.This is especially the case when the voices make negative comments about the person or contain unpleasant ideas. • There may be difficulties in concentration, memory and ability to plan.These make it more difficult for the person to reason, communicate and complete daily tasks.These are also sometimes called cognitive impairments. • It does not mean having dual personality. Condition 8: Schizophrenia
  • 25. Question: Could you say whether you felt supported in the workplace and in what ways? “Yes, my team at the university were amazing. Other lecturers who have also suffered from a similar experience talked to me. I was able to see a staff counsellor. It was the first time that I shared my own issues with anxiety as, for the past 10 years of working here, I had kept any problems to myself. I feel a lot better for being open about it. I have also been looking into doing research into teacher anxiety in ELT. I have noticed, in general education it is a much talked about subject but there is so little information in the ELT industry. At the university, I am a teacher trainer and I deal with ever increasing numbers of teacher trainees who really struggle with anxiety and depression. I feel as a trainer, if I could be more open about the subject it might help my trainees. I would express that I love my job as a teacher AND I suffer from anxiety. I haven't reached the stage of being able to do that yet but it is something that I am interested in doing. I would especially like to be able to talk about my experience in a positive way and provide research findings on the topic. I feel very strongly that this is something that can help people who are teachers or are training to be teachers in ELT.” (Source: Nicola Walker, a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire)
  • 26. Question 5. • Have you ever received training in how to support teachers’ mental health? Bamboo Mental Health: http://bamboomentalhealth.co.uk/ MHFA England : https://mhfaengland.org/
  • 27. How employers and line managers can be trained around this topic • Mental Health Support in the Workplace https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-support-mental-health-work “Good mental health at work and good management go hand in hand and there is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive. Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12%.” - Mental Health Foundation
  • 28. How employers and line managers can be trained around this topic MHFA England : https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa- centre/news/mhfa-new-guidance-launch/
  • 29. References: Devon, N. (2019). Mental health sufferers like me will only thrive once employers step up and support us. https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/17/mental-health-sufferers-like-will-thrive-employers-step-support-us- 8347537/ Education Support Partnership / YouGov. (2017) Health Survey 2017. Available at: https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/resources/research-reports/2017-health-survey Eyre, C. (2017) The Elephant in the Staffroom: How to Reduce Stress and Improve Teacher Wellbeing. Abingdon: Routledge. Henshaw, C (2019). Teachers work more unpaid overtime than anyone else in TES. Available at: https://www.tes.com/news/teachers-work-more-unpaid-overtime-anyone-else Longwell, P. (2018) The Mental Health of English Language Teachers: Research Findings. Available at: https://teacherphili.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/the-mental-health-of-english-language-teachers- research-findings/ Longwell, P. (2018b) Beneath the surface in EL Gazette. Available at: http://www.elgazette.com/item/517- beneath-the-surface.html Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England course (2015) www.mhfaengland.org Mental Health First Aid England Guidance: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/news/mhfa-new- guidance-launch/ Mental Health First Aid England Resources https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/resources/ Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ Millin, S. (2017) Useful links on mental health in ELT https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/useful-links-on-mental-health-in-elt/ Nicholls, C. (2018). Employers must do more to protect the mental health of staff in The Guardian. Accessed 21 November. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/employers-do- more-protect-mental-health-staff Rogers, T (2019). ‘Too many teachers still fear being honest about their mental health’ https://www.tes.com/news/too-many-teachers-still-fear-being-honest-about-their-mental-health
  • 30. A-ZBookmarks 30 Ways to Mindfulness – New ‘Life Resourceful’ Site by Rachael Roberts A-Z of Self Care for Teachers | The Best Ticher (Elly Setterfield) Agi Enyedi - How to avoid teacher burnout (BC webinar) Be kind to yourself! - Neil Millington - TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC Beating Burnout & Avoiding Stress: Top Tips from/for Teachers – Clare's ELT Compendium Beneath the surface – Phil Longwell’s article in EL Gazette BESIG Blog: Five great ways to boost Language Trainer wellbeing Bonus task: Self-talk and teacher confidence (ELT Playbook 1) | Sandy Millin Bullying, harassment and workplace abuses: Kieran’s story | ELT Advocacy Ireland Burnout in ELT | iTDi Blog Employable Me | All at C Five Great ways to boost Language Trainer wellbeing - by Phil Nash - BESIG Blog Four ways in which teaching helps your mental health - Tom Rogers in TES FreeBook: Flipping the System - Routledge How Many Times Do You Have To Start Again, Again, Again…? – How To Fail At Life Successfully How should I deal with workplace anxiety? - Denise Cowle I’m a 1st Year Teacher and I’m Burned Out – Edmodo Blog IATEFL webinar (7 July 2018) on Mental Health Awareness for Employers – Recording for members Identifying and tackling teacher burnout | MET Impostor Syndrome – a post by Danielle H Da Silva Imposter Syndrome and how to deal with it – Chia Suan Chong (ETProfessional) Improving Mental Health in Schools – Natasha Devon article in TES
  • 31. Interview for Teachers as Workers SIG by Phil Longwell It’s Time to Talk about mental health in ELT – Emma's Language Journey June issue 2018 – Cover | ELgazette Language Teacher Psychology – Achilleas Kostoulas LGBTQ mental health | Mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems Life Resourceful – Rachael Roberts Mental Health - There's a lot you can do. And you should. - iTDi Blog Mental health (in ELT) | Lauraahaha Mental Health | @TeacherToolkit Mental Health Media Charter (Natasha Devon) Mental Health in ELT – Lizzie Pinard Mental Wellbeing: Staff homepage - Health & Wellbeing - HR - The University of Sheffield Mind – The Mental Health Charity Mind Wide Open | Feet firmly on the ground Minds Matter: Psychology of language learning | Q&A - Oxford University Press Not surviving but thriving: Teacher psychology and professional wellbeing: A conversation with Sarah Mercer | ETAS PERMA for Teachers: Preventing Burnout with Positive Psychology – Christina Jones ELT Blog Plenary session by Sarah Mercer | IATEFL Online Psychosis - Potent cannabis increases risk of serious mental illness, says study (BBC) A-ZBookmarks
  • 32. Sarah Mercer Macmillan Webinar - Strategies to promote and protect language teacher well-being Secret Teacher: Class, I wish I'd told you the truth about my mental health - The Guardian Stephen Ryan on Wellbeing – ELTOC 2019 webinar via Oxford University Press Stress Awareness Discussion Points #teacher5aday – Clare's ELT Compendium Supporting workplaces to be mentally healthy - Mind Teachers are at breaking point. It's time to push wellbeing up the agenda - Teacher Network / Guardian Teachers’ well-being and mental health: an #ELTchat summary – Muddles into Maxims Teaching can also support your mental health. Here's how (Tom Rogers) The Elephant In The (Staff) Room - Why We Need To Talk About Teacher Wellbeing - The Huffington Post The Pool - How to support a friend who is struggling with their mental health The Well-Being Talking Shop – Teachers as Workers Special Interest Group Time to talk about … mental health: Interview with Phil Longwell – TAWSIG Too many teachers still fear being honest about their mental health – Tom Rogers in TES Useful links on Mental Health in ELT | Sandy Millin What I learned from my burn out as a teach – Patrice Palmer What to do when you can’t stop criticising yourself | The Best Ticher Where’s Your Head At? - The Mental Health campaign to change the law in the UK Who is taking care of Teachers? – An Article by H. Richard Milner IV in Education Week Why mental health matters - ELTjam Wrestling with the darkness - BrELT - Ricardo Barros You don’t have to be mad to work here - The Secret DOS A-ZBookmarks