As the clocks have gone back this weekend one thing comes to mind as we begin a new week; cold, dark mornings and the prospect of going to and coming home from work in the dark.

Our Education Lead, Ben Harper reminded me last week that that’ll mean no daylight for many teachers until March during school hours (unless of course you’re on playground duty).

So, what will keep us going through these cold dark days?

What will motivate us to keep on ‘keeping on’, as most of us will?

Well there’s a whole host of things we could do (why not let us know your suggestions btw) but one of the key things that will keep you going is your commitment to the people you work with and the values of what you do.

Teachers and those who work in schools tend to have a strong sense of responsibility as well as a genuine desire to make a difference. Deep down there is a care and commitment to the children and young people they work with. These are core values that keep the world of education (and it’s staff!) going.

Our values drive our actions. They underpin our decisions. They will be shaped by our upbringing, experiences and current life stage.

Where we become unstuck is when our values jar with those of management, co-workers or OFSTED. When our values don’t align with what’s being asked of us, that’s when things feel…wrong. This can be a real source of unhappiness and this is just draining.

This is why we believe making a conscious effort to connect with our values is so important. It can help us to understand why we feel either easy or uneasy about certain things. It can help us understand our motivations and our behaviours.

So aside from commitment to those you work with and a desire to make a difference, what other things do you value? What other things motivate you? Are there things that are jarring with your values at the moment? Are there ways in which you are expressing your values especially congruently at the moment? Our wellbeing will only be enhanced