My BRiTE Toolkit

Date: 25/10/20174:15AM

Module "B": Building resilience................................................................................................................ 2

Module "R": Relationships....................................................................................................................... 4
Module "i": Wellbeing............................................................................................................................... 5
Module "T": Taking initiative.................................................................................................................... 7
Module "E": Emotions.............................................................................................................................. 8
Module "B": Building resilience
How do you define resilience?
Being able to overcome adversity using inner strength, determination and the ability to see
potential where others may not
Resilience is the ability to reflect, grow and continue in the face of challenges and/or adversity
How would you describe a resilient teacher?
A teacher who is resilient not only to certain situations they may face, though emotionally resilient
also as we face challenging situations/see children in difficult situations ie. homelife
What makes a resilient teacher?
Supports friends and colleagues
Sets goals and small milestones to achieve and maintain motivation
Holds self accountable
Remains calm and assesses situations carefully
Keep focused, remind yourself weekly of why you are in the role you are
Set goals for your work; the impact you would like to make
Exercise and maintain personal hobbies for self care
Quotes
"A resilient teacher is A person who utilises inner resources (strength) and external resources
(such as peers) to overcome challenges of the profession"
"A resilient teacher views their teaching as a work in process, always changing and growing for the
better"
"A resilient teacher sees each challenge as a way to grow stronger"
What do the experts say?
"the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant
sources of stress such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or
workplace and financial stressors. (American Psychological Association, 2014)"
"both the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and
physical resources that sustain their well-being, and their capacity individually and collectively to
negotiate for these resources to be provided in culturally meaningful ways. (Resilience Research
Centre, 2014)"
"Researchers have also defined teacher resilience, for example,

process of development that occurs over time involving the ability to adjust to varied situations
and increase ones competence in the face of adverse conditions (Bobek, 2002, p. 202)
specific strategies that individuals employ when they experience an adverse situation (Castro,
Kelly & Shih, 2010, p. 623).
a mode of interacting with events in the environment that is activated and nurtured in times of
stress (Tait, 2008, p. 58).
a quality that enables teachers to maintain their commitment to teaching despite challenging
conditions and recurring setbacks (Brunetti, 2006, p. 813)

For a review of the literature regarding teacher resilience, see Beltman, Mansfield, & Price, (2011).
"
"The importance of environmental factors in supporting teacher resilience is emphasised in the
work of Johnson, Down, LeCornu, Peter, Sullivan, Pearce and Hunter (2014). Their framework of 5
conditions supporting Early Career Teacher (ECT) resilience highlights the importance of policies
and practices, teachers work, school culture, relationships and teacher identity in supporting the
resilience of early career teachers. Peters and Pearce (2011) discuss the impact of principals
personal support and leadership in supporting early career teacher resilience and Le Cornu (2013)
argues relationships are critical to resilience building in new teachers. According to Corbell,
Osborne and Reiman (2010) key factors associated with beginning teacher satisfaction,
 commitment and retention include mentor support, colleague support, administrative support,
classroom management, student success, instructional resources, parental contacts and
assignment and workload. Likewise, Phelps and Benson (2012) found that factors sustaining
teachers included the chance to have an impact, positive attitudes of others, and professional
development through collaboration and relationships. The importance of a caring professional
community has been stressed in whole school approaches to support pupil and teacher wellbeing
and resilience (Cefai & Cavioni, 2014). Assisting novice teachers is a collective responsibility
(Caspersen & Raaen, 2014)."
Little wisdoms
""When I encourage someone else, I see it as an investment in their resilience" - Steve
Karagiannis. "
Module "R": Relationships
Maintaining support networks
First thoughts
Making connections in networking situations, contacting and communicating, seeking
advice/sharing resources
My thoughts on "I have friends I havent seen for weeks "
Organise a dinner or get together, walk/exercise with friends
New ideas
Putting in effort/connecting, thanking people for their support/presence, sharing resources
Strategies
"Support networks and social media.

Social media is becoming a widely used tool for connecting, networking and learning in education.
Even if you are in a large school, social media can help you connect with experts in your field and
can play a useful role in support as well as continuing your professional learning.

Connecting, networking, learning (Teacher Feature AITSL, 24 September, 2012)

"
Tips
"If you are in a new placement, let others know you may be out of action socially for a while."
What do the experts say?
"Bernard (1993) argues that having at least one strong support person in an individuals
environment can have a positive impact on resilience. Having a caring network of friends and
family can assist teachers in managing the challenges of the profession (Howard & Johnson, 2004)
and can enhance teacher commitment (Day & Gu, 2007). Supportive family members can also help
teachers maintain work-life balance (Gu & Day, 2007).
Papatraianou and Le Cornu (2014) argue that informal professional and personal networks
contribute to early career teacher resilience through providing emotional support, advice and
professional knowledge, as well as providing a forum in which teachers could be listened to and
appreciated. Furthermore, informal support networks help early career teachers feel more confident
and competent."
Building new relationships
First thoughts
Being forward, happy, genuine, asking about the person and their job/interests
My thoughts on "Put your best foot forward"
Apologise for interrupting schedule though ask how you could be a part of schoo community, make
an effort with staff
New ideas
Not being afraid to talk to someone
Module "i": Wellbeing
Personal Wellbeing
First thoughts
I exercise and practice yoga 3-5 times per week; I have a number of hobbies such as painting and
writing poetry; I make time for my friends and family, as well as for myself to unwind and recharge;
maintain a healthy diet and sleep cycle
My thoughts on "I am feeling so stressed out "
Seek guidance from a mentor or supervisor; ensure I am getting enough sleep; feed myself proper
whole foods such as protein, vegetables and stay away from processed foods that may cloud my
judgement; exercise/meditate
New ideas
Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regime; Getting consistent sleep; Setting goals to achieve
Strategies
"Personal wellbeing and mental health. An important aspect of personal wellbeing is mental health.
So what do we mean when we talk about mental health?
The KidsMatter program defines mental health in the following ways -

Mental health is how we think or feel about ourselves and what is going on around us, and how we
cope with the ups and down of life.
Mental health is not mental illness or problems or difficulties. Mental health is part of our overall
sense of wellbeing and includes the positive aspects that create a fulfilling and meaningful life (eg
confidence, optimism, persistence).
Mental health is not about being happy all the time, but being able to manage lifes challenges
effectively in ways that enable us to live a life we value. (KidsMatter, 2012, p. 29)

Given these ideas, why might promoting positive mental health be important for teachers?

Read this Fact Sheet, "Mental Health and Mental Ill-Health" from ResponseAbility (2014) that
discusses mental health and how teachers can support students mental health.

What is mental health?(KidsMatter, 2014)

"
"Recognising and responding to (dis)stress. quote
little wisdom
Not all stress is unpleasant! The flurry of activity surrounding a wedding or big holiday can be
exciting (psychologists call this eustress). Sometimes, however, particular situations or multiple
demands can result in distress which, over a period of time can lead to exhaustion or burn out.
Can you recognise signs of stress in yourself and others? Distress can show in different ways in
different people. For example, you could be breathless or find your heart racing, have a short
fuse, be unable to sleep or sleep to escape, eat too much or stop eating, feel on the verge of
crying, withdraw from family, friends or activities, or have your mind racing with all the things you
have to do.
Once you are able to recognise the signs of stress in yourself you are in a position to put into place
some of the strategies in the rest of this module to learn how to monitor and manage your stress
in positive ways. You will need some strategies for within the classroom too.
Which of these tips for responding to stress do you use?"
Work-life balance
First thoughts
 I ensure I maintain yoga and exercise always, other life tasks/activities are not priorities over work
My thoughts on "All I seem to do is work "
Time management is key here; Prioritise your tasks and ensure you have time for yourself, even if
it is just a 10 minute coffee and walk break during your DOTT time, give yourself time to recharge
New ideas
Prioritising and assessing the urgency of tasks, self care and work related situations
Maintaining motivation
First thoughts
The desire to educate young minds and create intrinsic thinkers
Being passionate about helping children and supporting their goals
Wanting to make the world better place
My thoughts on "How will I make it to the end of the term?"
Seek advice from peers, ask for their tips; Manage time more effectively
New ideas
Reminding myself why I chose teaching; My love for children, wanting to enable students the
opportunity to learn and thrive in our society; supporting students who may not have strong family
supports or encouragement to achieve/self confidence
Keep organised and on top of workload
Make strong networking connections in the teaching community
Module "T": Taking initiative
Communicating effectively
First thoughts
Giving students the opportunity to talk; listening, pausing
Being assertive with behaviour management and self expression
Communicate with colleagues and parents
My thoughts on ""I thought this was my room""
Time management; Prioritise;
New ideas
Listening; taking on board constructive criticism; Expressing my thoughts
Problem Solving
First thoughts
Be flexible, have a backup plan or alternative activity, reflect on situations and always be open to
seeking advice and guidance
My thoughts on "Not quite picture-perfect"
Conduct an outdoor activity, Phys Ed and get your students moving and engaged in activities you
know they love and will engage in
New ideas
Assess the situation and the ideal outcome; How do we get there, who does it affect; Remove
emotion from the equation
Ongoing professional learning
First thoughts
Always be open to and take on board constructive criticism and feedback
My thoughts on "My best friends, the APST"
Set up a vision board of the type of teacher you would like to be, then break this down into ways
you can achieve this goal
New ideas
Setting small goals to achieve
Remaining optimistic
Seeking guidance from colleagues, mentors and supervisors
Module "E": Emotions
What do you think are some characteristics of emotionally competent
teachers?
Confident; Calm; Insightful; Empathetic; Objective; Compassionate; Understanding; Lack of ego;
Willing to compromise; Open minded
Enhancing emotional awareness
First thoughts
Alfie has let his emotions control him and put a negative spin on everything, not knowing how to
understand or control his emotions has caused him to lash out, the teacher has projected their
emotions onto Alfie also, lack of self management
My thoughts on ""
New ideas
To separate my own emotional stresses from my classroom and from my own frame of mind before
I interact with my students
Managing emotions
My thoughts on ""
New ideas
I take deep breaths and calm myself down; assess the situation objectively without emotion trying
to ascertain if I am overreacting; assess the best way of handling the situation and moving forward
Tips
"Identify the trigger(s) for the event. Was it something about the lesson or another factor? Once you
identify the trigger, it will be easier to find a solution."
"Use your optimistic thinking skills from module i : Is it permanent? Is it personal? Is it pervasive?
Reframe your thinking if needed."
"Reframe the event and think of it as a professional issue rather than a personal issue. From a
professional point of view, what solutions are there?"
Quotes
"A resilient teacher is able to take criticism from parents and teachers, and misbehaviour from
students as a professional issue rather than a personal attack."
"I know theyre angry with the world. Theyre angry with other things. Theyre not angry with me so I
never take it personally."
"They come out fighting and sometimes you have to react and think, 'that wasnt really about me'."
Developing optimism
My thoughts on ""
New ideas
Often when you are pessimistic or hold a negative view it affects the way you perceive everything
and really dampens your day, optimism shines through you into your students, and its important to
remember they are why you are here; to help them