My BRiTE Toolkit

Date: 6/10/20175:04AM

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

Module "R": Relationships....................................................................................................................... 3
Module "i": Wellbeing............................................................................................................................... 8
Module "T": Taking initiative.................................................................................................................. 13
Module "E": Emotions............................................................................................................................ 19
Module "B": Building resilience
How do you define resilience?
Resilience to me means that in the face of adversity or difficulty you keep going and complete the
task at hand. It's about always bouncing back up whenever life knocks you down.
resilience is not a fixed idea but its dynamic and context dependent. It is influenced by a range of
factors such as biological, psychological and environmental factors.Our ability to remain resilient is
important for our mental health and wellbeing
How would you describe a resilient teacher?
A flexible teacher who is able to adjust to a variety of situations and to maintain a positive attitude
despite challenges and adversities.
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 sees each challenge as a way to grow stronger"
"A resilient teacher views their teaching as a work in process, always changing and growing for the
better"
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)."
Module "R": Relationships
Maintaining support networks
First thoughts
Make time to catch up and chat with my friends, family and colleagues. Being in facebook groups
or other social media groups that will help with teaching
My thoughts on "I have friends I havent seen for weeks "
I would so some deep breathing mediation exercises and just think about if it wasn't for the support
of my family and friends I wouldn't be the person I am or where I am at today. I would suggest that
go visit or do something with my friends every Saturday night and then make sure to catch up with
family on Sunday. This way I can forget about school and focus on de-stressing. I could even have
my friends just come over to my house if I don't feel like going out somewhere.
New ideas
1. Regular catch up with friends. 2. Sending messages to friends/family to let them know I'm doing
okay. 3. Join groups e.g. facebook groups to help support me
Tips
"If you are in a new placement, let others know you may be out of action socially for a while."
"Try and keep up your involvement in your sporting team, music group etc or let them know when
you will be back."
"Fit in a coffee / meal / run with your friend / partner over the weekend."
"Use online tools to stay in touch sometimes a short message or comment (what made me laugh
today ) can let people know how youre going."
"Beware of venting or including identifying details in online communication the education
community is a small one and trouble arises if one of your Facebook friends is related to
someone at your school registrar and reads comments about a school!"
"If you are relief teaching, friends, family and uni colleagues will be a good support network for
you."
"Exchange personal email addresses or set up a private online page before you head out to a
placement or workplace."
"Send positive/inspiring stories of your experiences to each other."
"Share effective teaching strategies and great lesson plans."
"Share resources and time saving tips to help each other out."
"Your teacher educators at the university will love to hear how you are going and would be happy
to help brainstorm ideas."
"Always check your privacy settings to ensure that you are not publicly accessible. Some things
might be best not shared with students, parents and colleagues."
"Maintaining a professional online identity is vital as a teacher or in any profession. Be mindful
before you post photos that might be questionable to your professional identity. "
"If starting a group in social media consider the use of closed groups. Participants will enter only by
invitation and no one else will be able to see the contents, discussions and posts inside the group.
Its a great and safe way to interact."
"While there are many benefits of using social media, be mindful of the potential complications that
may occur if not used in a professional manner. Never post comments that name your students,
parents or colleagues."
"When using social media, remember that time can really fly. While it can be a good form of
support, it can also be a time waster. Use your time wisely."
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
Find something out about common interests and talk about them. I have to make myself open up
and talk about what interests me etc.
My thoughts on "Put your best foot forward"
I would talk to my colleagues about how I am feeling and that as a new teacher, I feel a bit isolated
and alone. I would make a huge effort to attend all the school and staff events and to help out with
them in whatever way I can. I would talk to all the staff members including the administrative
people and the librarians and the gardeners and everyone who helps make the school run
smoothly. I would get to know them and not be afraid to ask them for help. I could see if they are
connected to anything on social media and then join their group to be 'in the know'.
New ideas
I will make an effort to talk to a different staff member every week
I could host a staff dinner or gathering as a way to get to know everyone in an informal context
keep in contact with others by email and text and/or other means
Tips
"Make sure you visit the staff room every day and quickly find out staffroom etiquette around coffee
mugs, seating positions, etc."
"Take the time to have conversations with a variety of people including school leaders, teaching
assistants, support staff and librarians."
"Identify the social networks between staff and keep a neutral position in any potential disputes."
"Try not to get drawn into negativity find colleagues who have a positive approach to their work
and actively seek them out for conversation and company."
"Identify a like-minded colleague at your workplace who you are comfortable talking to - and
remember to listen as well."
"Support may come in various ways. Look out for positive responses or feedback from your
students, other staff and parents."
"You may be able to provide support for someone else and establish your network this way. Look
out for situations where you may be able to assist."
"Sometimes new teachers can think they are the only teachers experiencing challenges. Seek out
others who are experiencing the same challenges as you and share strategies."
"You dont have to be a gregarious and extroverted person to be good at forming new
relationships. Take the opportunity for incidental conversations (waiting for the photocopier, being
out on yard duty) with individuals and small groups to build your confidence."
"Always be respectful of your mentor teachers approach to teaching and established classroom
practices and routines. Even if these practices are not ones you intend to use when you start your
career, it can be a valuable learning experience to enact these and reflect on the effect on teaching
and learning."
"Maintaining existing routines and practices can also assist you with classroom management in the
short term. If your mentor teacher is happy for you to make changes, do this gradually and evaluate
as you go."
"If you wish to try some approaches to teaching and learning that your students may not have
previously experienced, discuss this with your mentor teacher and seek advice about how the
students may respond. You may need to do some careful negotiation with your mentor teacher,
depending on their view. Be prepared to justify why your approach will be beneficial for student
learning."
 "When discussing teaching and learning with your mentor teacher, be sure to respect their
experience and views."
"When responding to feedback focus on the issue and how it can be improved. A problem solving
approach will help you manage feedback that might not be overly positive. An area for
improvement is an area for growth! Continual improvement is important for all teachers, no matter
how long they have been teaching."
"Use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to frame the feedback you receive. View
Illustrations of Practice on the AITSL website to see how each standard can be demonstrated at
the graduate level. You will also find some good ideas to help you improve."
"You will find that other staff help you a lot as well. Find the right person for the particular question
you have. Administrative staff can be very helpful with systems and procedures, and librarians tend
to have good insight into how things work in a school. Asking for help from a variety of sources will
help you not feel that you are overburdening individuals."
"Establish how the mentoring will work (time, purpose) so that it suits both parties."
"Set some goals that your mentor can assist you with. Use these to plan mentoring sessions in
advance, so you can be most productive in the time you spend together."
"You might find that your earlier mentoring meetings focus on induction to the particular school, but
once you are feeling settled, you can focus on building your professional practice."
"Where possible, ask your mentor to observe your teaching. Ask if you can observe your mentor in
his/her classroom this is a great way of learning! Are there opportunities for team teaching?"
"Your mentor should give you constructive feedback about your teaching. If you mentor observes
your teaching, you may like to ask for specific feedback such as lesson strengths and an area(s)
for improvement. Use the discussion after the lesson to brainstorm ideas for improvement note
these and try them out, sharing the results with your mentor in the next meeting."
"As you did when you were on Professional Experience, respond to feedback by focusing on the
issue and how it can be improved. Remember, continual improvement is important for all teachers,
no matter how long they have been teaching. Refer to the topic Ongoing Professional Learning in
the T module."
"You can also use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to help you plan areas of
improvement. View some Illustrations of Practice to get inspiration. Document your improvement
for your own learning and also to show others (i.e. Principal) when you have review meetings."
"Be respectful
Respect everyone you work with, even those who are sometimes difficult to get along with.
Respect the expertise and experience of your colleagues."
"Be supportive
Help your colleagues where you can. This will make it easier for you to ask for their assistance
too."
"Be approachable
Let others get to know you on a personal level, rather than just as a colleague."
"Be positive
In order to get along with a variety of colleagues, be positive in your interactions with and about
them. Avoid talking negatively about colleagues and don't engage in workplace gossip."
"Be patient
If something goes wrong, dont blame others, but try to find a workable solution."
"Be professional
Be professional in your approach to your work and in your communication (verbal and written) with
colleagues. This is a good way of showing and generating respect."
"Be dependable
If you commit to doing something ensure you do it. Dont make excuses."
"Be open-minded
There are many ways of working together and achieving success."
"Be a team player
Show that youre a team player by volunteering to help out with school activities but choose those
 that wont be overly time consuming especially when you are starting out. Taking notes at a
meeting for example, is a simple task that can be achieved in a short period of time."
"Some staffrooms can be negative places and people are not always as welcoming as they could
be. Becoming negative is sometimes a result of not having a range of resilience strategies to
manage challenges. You might not be able to do anything about others negativity, but you can
decide how much you let it affect you. Try to manage negativity by focusing on what you can
control, building strong relationships with your students and looking for opportunities for positive
experiences. Theres more about this in the E module."
"Learn about the culture and history of the school before you start and perhaps share some
information about yourself with your new colleagues (send a photo?)."
"Read the local paper to find out about local events."
"Attend events run by the school, such as a family picnic. Take this opportunity to connect with
families and other staff."
"Make a confident first impression and introduce yourself to colleagues you havent previously
met."
"Meet deadlines and submit information on time school leaders and office staff will appreciate
this."
"Quickly become familiar with school policies and procedures and follow these."
"Take your time relationships take time to develop and it will take a while for people to get to
know you as well."
Quotes
"Its so important to have a supportive network of people around you, thats really important
because youre isolated quite a bit in the classroom and sometimes you think, Is it just me and to
be able to walk out of the classroom at recess for example and say this just happened and for
someone else to go Dont worry about it, that always happens to me so I think if you felt that you
couldnt do that, it would be very isolating"
"A resilient teacher is one who can develop meaningful relationships within the school to help
provide support when required and one who can contribute support to others when required"
What do the experts say?
"In her 2013 paper, Le Cornu describes some of the challenges cited by early career teachers with
regard to school parents. These include establishing relationships and maintaining communication,
responding to parents expectations, learning to relate to parents with different views, negotiating
different family structures, and dealing with behaviour and custody issues (p. 9). Relationships
with parents can also influence early career teachers sense of efficacy in positive and negative
ways. Schuck, Aubusson, Buchanan & Russell (2012) suggest that pre-service teachers be taught
how to build relationships and cooperate with parents."
"In their study of early career teachers, Sharplin, ONeill and Chapman (2011) suggest that that
strategies helping new teachers successfully integrate into new environments include seeking help,
obtaining relevant information, building relationships, reflecting, engaging in professional learning,
maintaining a healthy lifestyle and establishing boundaries.
Jarzabkowski (2003) suggests that in geographically remote locations, strong collegial relationships
have great significance for teachers. In her study conducted in a remote Australian school on the
edge of the desert, staff described how collegial relationships which facilitate emotional and
practical support are especially important when school life and personal life are so closely
intertwined. Ebersohn (2012) contends that resilience is a collective experience and that the
capacity to flock (as opposed to fight or flight) is a powerful way for teachers to share resources
for collective resilience."
"Many researchers have emphasised the importance of relationships in teacher resilience (see for
example, Day & Gu, 2014; Ebershn, 2012; Le Cornu, 2013; Papatrianou & Le Cornu, 2014).
Some researchers have discussed the importance of relational resilience. This means that
resilience is characterised as not an exclusively individual trait, but as a process that occurs in
relationships with students, teaching colleagues, peers, family, leaders and parents (Le Cornu,
2013). Le Cornu argues that positive relationships provide early career teachers with passion,
pleasure and enthusiasm to sustain their career and consolidate their sense of self-worth,
connection and belongingness. Furthermore, Day and Gu (2014) contend that relationships lie at
the centre of teachers work and lives and that teacher resilience building processes are relational."
Module "i": Wellbeing
Personal Wellbeing
First thoughts
I walk my dog every morning and evening. I drink plenty of water and try to maintain a healthy diet
with lots of fruit and veg. I always make sure I get enough sleep at night. I take time to catch up
with friends and family.
My thoughts on "I am feeling so stressed out "
Take my dog for a walk and relax. Give my mind a break and start fresh after my walk. Switch to
drinks that don't contain caffeine and drink plenty of water. Turn my bedroom into a device-free
area and switch off from my devices an hour before going to sleep. Write a list of all the things I
need to do and prioritise.
New ideas
Keep up my regular exercise such as walking and soccer
Maintain a healthy diet - no coffee or lots of unnecessary sweet things
get at least 6-8 hours of sleep
Tips
"Monitor your stress levels and when you notice yourself feeling tense, do something about it, like
exercise or talk to a friend."
"Be proactive rather than reactive. Know what causes you to feel stressed and do what you can to
prevent it occurring."
"Know what activity helps you relax and unwind and do this regularly."
"Prioritise if you are stressed about the amount of work you need to do, make a list of priorities
and attend to the top priorities first."
"Avoid unhealthy eating and drinking habits as these can put more stress on your body."
"Look after yourself physically through: A healthy diet

Start the day with a healthy breakfast and prepare nourishing snacks and meals for the school day.

Eat something nutritious at recess and lunch time and have an after school snack to avoid the pre-
dinner cravings.
Stay hydrated throughout the day to keep up your energy for the hard work of teaching.
Poor diet is not only linked to poor physical health but can also negatively affect mood - eating well
will positively contribute to your mood .
If you are teaching about food groups to your students take your own advice and be a positive role
model!
What to avoid? Relying on chocolate, coffee alcohol or other substances for relaxation or relief can
have unintended negative effects!
"
"Look after yourself physically through: Regular exercise

Build exercise into your day as this can assist with preventing and reducing the signs of stress.
Do that daily work out with your students or walk with a colleague around the school perimeter after
work. This might be a good way to debrief the day as well.
Look for opportunities for incidental exercise and avoid sitting at the computer for long periods of
time have a break every hour.
Make time for exercise on the weekends perhaps combine this with a social activity as well?
"
"Look after yourself physically through: Adequate sleep

Feeling tired will add to your stress so try some ways to make sure you get enough sleep check
out advice online or see your GP.
Lack of sleep can negatively impact on memory and performance and you wont want that to
happen while you are teaching!
 Listen to some relaxing music, simple meditation or read to help you get in the sleep zone.
Avoid computer work or using mobile devices for at least an hour before you try to get to sleep.
Make your bedroom a device-free and work-free environment.
"
Quotes
"[on prac] I ensured that I allowed myself serious time to rest and relax rather than thinking about
and doing things school related non-stop."
"No matter what I go for a run, to the beach, try and avoid thinking of school burn up energy
and calm my mind"
What do the experts say?
"Work stress is an issue encountered by a substantial number of teachers, particularly pre-service
teachers who lack experience and strategies to cope with unexpected situations and students
problem behaviours (Capan, 2012; Cefai & Cavioni, 2014).
Stress can be recognised through manifestations such as mental feelings of anxiety, insecurity,
vulnerability and depression, and physical symptoms such as stomach pain, headaches or high
blood pressure (Richards, 2012).
In their relationships with students and colleagues, a (dis)stressed teacher may seem irritated,
impatient and sometimes withdrawn (Richards, 2012).
In order to counteract stress effectively, teachers should be active agents in their personal and
professional wellness and accept that most things in life are transient (Boyd & Eckert, 2002).
Some effective methods to deal with stress reported by 54 Charles Sturt University pre-service
teachers include communicating with others, self-help, relaxation, recreation, time management
and organisation (Hemmings & Hockley, 2002)."
"Teaching has been identified by health professionals as a vulnerable occupation that generates a
higher level of burnout than other college-educated jobs (Dworkin, 2009). Within that context,
healthy self-care habits such as diet, exercise, and sleep have been found to provide teachers with
emotional and physical strength (Albrecht, Johns, Mounsteven, & Olorunda, 2009; Curry & OBrien,
2011; Hemmings & Hockley, 2002). In a national survey of 1,201 K-12 teachers in the United
States, Richards (2012) revealed a number of strategies resilient teachers employed to enhance
their well-being and thus coping capacity, for example, making time for themselves, making time for
recreational activities, socialising with friends, and practising solitude and meditation."
Work-life balance
First thoughts
I am able to manage my work roster around my uni and social life. If I am really busy with uni work,
I can get off work. I aim to work 2-3 days a week.
My thoughts on "All I seem to do is work "
Leave the weekends to be school-free and to catch up with family and friends or engage with my
hobbies and interests.
Make a list of all the things I need to do and put them in order of priority.
Make sure I do some exercise at least one hour a day (e.g. walk my dog) to refresh my mind and
body
Have my friends or family invite me out if I seem to work too much.
New ideas
Write a list of all the things I need to do and prioritise them from most important to least. Decide
which tasks need immediate attention and which ones dont
Use one week of the school holidays to plan for the next term
Keep up in my sporting team and my weekend catch ups with family and friends
Tips
"Develop interests outside work you may be able to incorporate them into your teaching if you
need a rationale e.g. take a sport coaching course, go bushwalking, learn a musical instrument or
another language, create a vegetable patch, join a community choir or drama group, volunteer at
 your own childrens sport, learn a new craft, write a novel etc. What would suit you? What would be
fun?"
"Ask a friend or family member to remind you about work-life balance by inviting you out when you
seem to be consumed by work."
"Remember there are always more tasks to do when youre a teacher, but you need to be rested
and well to perform at your best in the classroom."
"View some of the videos in the resource page at the end of this module there are some good
tips there for maintaining work-life balance."
"Decide what is important and urgent, important but not urgent, and not important and not urgent.
Then make decisions accordingly about how you will allocate your time."
"Sometimes a visual representation is helpful. For example make a chart, draw up a list and tick off
what you accomplish, use the fish and chips shop method of sticky notes and move them or
remove them when done."
"Enlist the help of your family and friends to keep you on track."
"Check out time saving ideas for teachers online, in text books for beginning teachers and from
experienced teachers in planning, assessment and many other areas."
What do the experts say?
"Effective time management strategies have been reported to help teachers maintain a positive
work-life balance (Thieman et al., 2012). In a study of stressors that 135 James Cook University
pre-service teachers faced, Knight, Balatti, Haase, and Henderson (2010) found that poor time
management was a risk factor cited by 12% of the respondents. Curry and OBrien (2011) present
an analysis of two teachers narratives of their first year in the teaching profession. Both exhibited a
high level of stress due to a lack of time for personal and social life and family commitment. As a
result, one teacher gave up and looked for another non-teaching job, while the other teacher
stayed resilient by focusing on her physical and mental wellness and utilising effective time
management strategies such as working smarter and not harder (for example, using time-efficient
practices such as planning or grading during student bookwork time)."
"It has been acknowledged that a lack of work-life balance can positively result in high work
engagement and strong commitment to the job role, however, the downside is a high degree of
stress and a distinct possibility of attrition (Thieman, Henry, & Kitchel, 2012). Therefore, it is
important that teachers be able to self-regulate to divide their time evenly between work and life as
those who can strike this balance are more satisfied with their jobs (Jennings, Snowberg, Coccia, &
Greenberg, 2011). Further, separating work from personal life by establishing limits (e.g. not
taking work home) is an important protective mechanism that resilient teachers develop to prevent
themselves from being burnt out (Prilik, 2007)."
Maintaining motivation
First thoughts
The excitement of seeing children gain new understandings and concepts. They are motivated
because no day is the same but that something new will happen.
My thoughts on "How will I make it to the end of the term?"
Write down why I started teaching in the first place and all the positive things I love about my job.
Look back at things my students have done or said, and see the positive things in it
Realise that I can't control everything and then let go of those things that I can't control
New ideas
At the end of everyday, look for two positive things that happened
Write down why I love teaching
Have a good support network of colleagues who love their job and have a positive mental attitude
Tips
"Whatever your reasons for wanting to become a teacher, thinking about these, articulating them
and re-evaluating them can help you when times are tough or when your enthusiasm wanes."
 "Remind yourself about why you chose to become a teacher. Find the everyday experiences that
will remind you of this and help keep you motivated."
"Find a photo, drawing, favourite quote or affirmation from a colleague, student or parent. Keep this
visible to remind you of why you chose teaching."
"Teachers often find that positive experiences with students help maintain their motivation be
proactive in seeking such experiences."
"As you progress into your teaching career you will find more aspects of your work that are
sustaining. Sometimes new experiences and challenges can provide a good opportunity for
reinvigoration and renewal. Be aware of what sustains your motivation for teaching and make these
experiences part of your work into the future."
"Find some positive affirmations that are meaningful to you keep these where you see them
regularly."
"Recognise your unhelpful, negative thoughts and create another way of seeing the situation.
Think it is not permanent, it is not personal, it is not pervasive."
"Look for the light at the end of the tunnel."
"When reflecting, be sure to identify the positive aspects of your lesson/day as well as the things
youd like to improve."
"In a challenging situation focus on what you can do to make it better. Use problem solving skills
(see T Module) and take action."
"Find optimistic colleagues and learn from how they approach their work. Note strategies that you
think you can use too."
"Remember the advice from the R module - Try not to get drawn into negativity find colleagues
who have a positive approach to their work and actively seek them out for conversation and
company."
Quotes
"Most teachers I know who have stayed in the profession are really driven to make a difference so
despite the difficulties they have they keep pushing forward"
"A resilient teacher is a teacher who is able to think positively and see the big picture to help them
get through stressful situations"
"A resilient teacher is one who remains positive, doesn't stress the small stuff and focuses on
students."
"I think it develops with time. The more I teach and learn to get better at preparing, better at
classroom management, better at time management, etc., Ill get more confident in my abilities as a
teacher, and the more confident I get, the more resilient Ill be."
"Although I found prac challenging, I found that I was able to overcome many of the issues giving
myself more faith as a teacher."
What do the experts say?
"There are three main types of motivations that bring teachers to the profession, namely intrinsic
(e.g., perceived teaching ability, perception of intrinsic value of teaching), extrinsic (e.g., job
security, career status) and altruistic reasons (e.g., service-oriented goals, desire to make a social
contribution) (Richardson & Watt, 2006; Watt & Richardson, 2008). In other words, some teachers
are aspired by their inner calling, but for some others this career choice is triggered by convenience
factors (Coetzee, Ebershn, & Ferreira, 2013; Mackenzie, 2012). However, teachers who love,
believe in, and respect the students they work with, and take pride in making a difference to their
lives are more likely to stay through the span of their career than those who do not (Cochran-Smith,
2004; Cohen, 2009). Within the context of Australia, Watt and Richardson (2008) found that pre-
service teachers who saw intrinsic rewards in teaching had a high level of planned effort and
planned persistence. In contrast, those who were concerned with extrinsic rewards demonstrated a
low level of professional engagement and perseverance. Indeed, having a clear sense of purpose
is an important coping strategy that assists early career teachers to overcome multiple work-related
stressors (Doney, 2013). Nevertheless, extreme attitudes such as saving the world should be
avoided as unrealistic ambition can inevitably lead to burnout (Prilik, 2007, p. 317)."
"To be emotionally resilient, perfectionism and self-blaming should be reduced and negative
mindsets such as I cant do it or I cant be bothered should be avoided (Bernard, n.d.). Positive
 self-talk, together with humour, have been used by new teachers in remote and rural Western
Australian schools use to reduce stress and enhance their coping capacity (Sharplin, ONeill, &
Chapman, 2011). In a large-scale study of teacher resilience in the United States, Richards (2012)
found that a number of teachers were able to sustain themselves in the face of adversity by holding
positive attitudes and letting go of things that were out of their control. Likewise, Cohen (2009)
reported that teachers who held positive assumptions about their students and were able to forget
unhappy moments and move forward were more likely to persist and survive in unfavourable
teaching environments."
"Persistence is believed to be a product of individual teachers efforts and their willingness to strive
to survive (Green, Oswald, & Spears, 2007; Gu & Li, 2013). Mackenzie (2012) found that teachers
of children with special educational needs (SEN) found it challenging but despite occasionally
thinking of leaving the job, all the teachers persisted and stayed for 15 years or more. Most
reported a profound commitment to working with SEN children and said that the rewards of the job
were so great they would not want to do anything else. Similarly, in the context of urban American
communities where challenges such as poverty, diversity, and violence dominate, Peterman (2005)
found that graduates were able to persist by using strategies such as getting to know their
students, parents, and colleagues, as well as coming to know themselves better in order to cope
and thrive.
Self-efficacy has been reported to be a major component that predicts teacher resilience (Beltman,
Mansfield, & Price, 2011; Day, 2007; Day & Gu, 2014; Ee & Chang, 2010). In a study in a Midwest
urban school district in the United States where teachers face challenging working conditions (e.g.
overwhelming workloads, challenging students, poor student motivation, lack of administrative
support, and low salaries), it was reported that teachers confidence in themselves as teachers
enabled them to overcome obstacles successfully (Waddell, 2007). Gu and Day (2007, p.1312)
explained that in order to rebound from setbacks, teachers need strong self-efficacy beliefs i.e.
self-confidence in their abilities as a teacher. Their sustained effort and perseverance when faced
with difficulties then actually strengthens their self-efficacy. In other words, the development of
teachers self-efficacy consistently interacts with the growth of their resilient qualities. It is by nature
a dynamic, developmental processthe key characteristic of resilience." (p. 1312)"
Little wisdoms
""You may not be able to control someone's negative behaviour, but you can control how long you
participate in it" ~ Danny Lee Silk. "
Module "T": Taking initiative
Communicating effectively
First thoughts
open minded ness
being a good listener
communicating effectively
empathy
confidence
My thoughts on ""I thought this was my room""
Effectively communicate and collaborate with the other teacher
Be a good listener when the parents want to meet with you. Consider their needs and their child's
needs
Realise that I can say 'no' to things if I am too busy.
New ideas
Being an effective listener
Being proactive
communicating effectively
Tips
"Give your full attention to the speaker, their body language, and other nonverbal cues.

Have a clear mind and remove potential distractions (emails, mobile devices) so you dont miss
nonverbal cues in the conversation.
Stay focused throughout the conversation and repeat key points in your head to discuss later.
Paraphrasing is a useful strategy that enables you to show interest in what is being shared as well
as helping you retain information.
"
"Allow the speaker to finish what they want to say without interruption .

Wait for your turn to talk.

Respond appropriately to what the speaker is saying.

Avoid quickly turning the conversation to an issue you have had - If you think thats bad, let me
tell you what happened to me.

Think about your own body language and facial expression this shows the speaker how
interested your really are.

"
"Be open to other viewpoints.

You dont have to agree with the speaker but it is important to try your best to fully understand the
situation and context.
Sometimes situations are more complex than they initially seem, so refrain from making
judgements, criticising or attributing blame. Try to understand the multiple viewpoints in a situation.
Be open to developing relationships with a variety of people.
"
 "Give feedback.

Use nonverbal cues to show your support and interest in what the speaker is saying nod, smile,
have a relaxed posture.

Offer short comments to acknowledge what the speaker is saying - yes or uh huh.

"
"Adjust your communication to suit the speaker and context.

Use a tone of voice appropriate for the person with which you are speaking (student, parent,
colleague).

Consider culturally appropriate ways of communication, particularly when speaking with parents
and students from minority groups.

Consider also the emotional state of the person you are talking to. Use tone and nonverbal cues
appropriate to the situation.

"
"Convey positive feelings through your body language.

You can use body language to project confidence in situations where you might feel nervous
(meeting a new class / parents / having an observer watch your teaching). Stand tall with your
shoulders back and head up. Smile, make eye contact and use your voice confidently. If meeting a
parent or colleague for the first time, shake hands firmly while doing these things.
"
"Speak clearly and confidently."
"Express feelings honestly and openly."
"Respond in a way appropriate for the situation."
"Consider the rights of the other person."
"Negotiate solutions to problems."
"Care about self, others, results and the situation."
"Assertive communicators often use I statements. An I statement has 3 parts:

I feel.
because /when.
I want.

e.g. I feel embarrassed / awkward interrupting / asking for your time when you are so busy but I
want to find out how things are done here."
"Think before you respond sometimes saying yes can be an automatic reaction."
"Find out more about what the person is asking you to do what is involved? How much time will it
take? When does the task need to be completed by? What skills are needed?"
"Colleagues know what its like to be a new teacher, so its okay to say something like -

Id love to help but I have a really busy week ahead.

Thanks for thinking of me, but I wont be able to help this time.
"
"Once youve said no stick to it, but politely restate what you originally said."
 "Ensure there are things you say yes to this shows youre willing to contribute and be part of the
school community."
Quotes
"Theres usually just so much going on at school I have to be really conscious of being a good
listener especially when there are distractions "
"Ive come to realise that I need to be more proactive in dealing with some people rather than just
waiting for problems to emerge "
"Probably one of the hardest things for me has been learning to say no. At first it was really hard,
but then it got easier now its easier for me to choose yes when I have time and want to get
involved "
What do the experts say?
"In terms of teacher wellbeing and resilience, being able to set and sustain boundaries is a
valuable skill. Ferguson (2008) states that setting boundaries and saying no is not about being
selfish; its about being smart and using your time and energy for your advantage. Learning the skill
of saying no to requests when you want to will boost your energy and increase wellbeing (p. 60).
Sharplin, ONeill & Chapman (2011) also found that setting work boundaries (in terms of workload,
role, tasks and time) was a strategy used by resilient teachers."
"Teachers constantly rely on communication skills for managing the daily tasks associated with
teaching. Assertive communication skills have been identified as a significant attribute that fosters
teacher resilience (Sitek-Solatka, 2005). Furthermore, well developed communications skills enable
supportive relationships with friends and family, colleagues, students, parents and the broader
community. In her book What Teachers Need to Know about Personal Wellbeing (2008),
Ferguson discusses the importance of communication for teachers, points out that we all have
choices in how we communicate, and illustrates how assertive communication is beneficial for early
intervention in potential conflict and for managing work and wellbeing."
Problem Solving
First thoughts
Seeking the help of my colleagues. Consider all perspectives to work out the problem.
Having a Plan B
Being flexible
My thoughts on "Not quite picture-perfect"
Go with the flow and work with the resources you have been given
New ideas
Always have a Plan B
Be flexible and adaptable
Seek the help of your mentor teacher or colleagues
Tips
"Have a Plan B. This may involve a change in resources, student groupings, sequence of activities
and assessment criteria. Considering an alternative not only provides you with a survival strategy,
but also gives you time to think about other possibilities."
"Have a bag of tricks activities that will engage the students and perhaps provide a distraction to
the current problem and/or situation (examples may include subject hang-man, subject bingo,
writing a communal story / question response, quizlets or a focused activity review comprising of 1
learned item + 1 question + 1 comment)."
"Display empathy, acknowledging the thoughts and feelings of othersif it is not working for you, it
may not be working for others either!"
"Dont expect things always to go your way - remember it is it is about meeting the best needs of
the student and the school."
"Acknowledge theres always an alternative take a breath and some time to consider the present
situation, and focus on looking through a different lens or perspective."
"Defer to your mentors and colleagues, sharing your own thoughts and concerns."
 "Refer to your university materials and recommended texts."
"Seeking help is one process, however, accepting it in the way it is intended and acting on it is also
important critique of your practice is not criticism, it is a way of acknowledging where you are and
how to provide advice and support to move forward."
"Recognise that whether you are a pre-service teacher or early career teacher, you are at the
beginning of the journey, and there is no stigma or embarrassment about your context. Sharing
your stories helps you and others too!"
"Identify someone who you both trust and can depend on to be an active listener, recalling a time
you were perhaps the person someone else depended on, or asked for advice."
"Ask questions of self and others this may be from your mentors, colleagues (these may be your
peers or perhaps experienced teachers who you consider as friendly and caring), and University
resources."
"Look at the R module again use your existing support networks too."
"If you need extra personal support check out the emergency contacts in the Resources tab."
Quotes
"If somethings really frustrating me Ill just say right stop, put it away and well just change and do
something more hands on or something more active that deals with it and that lets me have a
break as well."
"[a resilient teacher ] needs to be prepared to some degree for day to day teaching, able to cope
with last minute changes and still turn up to school every day with a smile! They also need to learn
from their mistakes and be reflective."
"[a resilient teacher] is someone who is not easily flustered, flexible and able to stay on task even
when given distractions."
"A resilient teacher is one who can take constructive feedback, recover quickly from a poor lesson,
stay calm when faced with problems. Be positive when faced with challenges and ask for help."
"[a resilient teacher] is reflective, asks for help, realises that mistakes are good and feels free to
make them"
What do the experts say?
"Dewey (1933) defined teacher reflection as an active, persistent and careful consideration of any
belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further
conclusions to which it tends (p. 9). The term reflection is used to describe behaviours involved in
thinking about our own thoughts and experiences. Through practice, these behaviours can become
a natural and automatic process of checking your own effectiveness when you are teaching, such
as when you are interacting with students, talking with colleagues or family members, or writing in a
journal (Latham, Blaise, Dole, Faulkner & Malone, 2011). Schn (1983), in discussing the reflective
practitioner described reflection-in-action, which occurs in the moment, and indeed is evidenced
during thinking on your feet and reflection-on-action, occurring after the event.
Archer (2007) described reflexivity as involving conscious deliberations about possible courses of
action, making decisions about what may be feasible at the time, and then choosing a way forward.
The 4Rs model of reflection (Bain, Ballantyne, Packer & Mills, 1999; Carrington & Selva, 2010;
Ryan & Ryan, 2013) provides a framework for thinking internally about your practice, and
transferring this into action through your personal and intellectual growth as an effective
practitioner. These steps are:

Reporting (describe significant events) and Responding (internal emotional responses)

Relating (make connections between these experiences and responses with prior forms of
knowledge and experiences)
Reasoning (using critical thinking processes, draw on and combine ideas to make new personal
knowledge)
Reconstructing (use gathered evidence, connections and reasoning to plan an action or new
approach)
"
"An alternate model of reflection by Smyth (1987) focuses on the stages of reflective practice,
these being to describe, inform, confront and restructure. These stages can be addressed by
asking the following questions:
 What did I do? (focus on who, what, when and where)
What does this mean? (information and understanding)
How did I come to be like this? (considering your values and attitudes)
How might I do things differently? (future action)

Reflective practice becomes a more conscious state when teachers experience a difficulty or
problem they cannot immediately resolve. After experiencing uncertainly, teachers step back and
analyse their actions. However, it does not only entail reflecting on uncertainty, but includes
teachers thinking and wondering about successful practices (Latham, Blaise, Dole, Faulkner &
Malone, 2011).
Teachers identity and resilience can be promoted when they engage in reflection (Johnson, et al.,
2014) and in turn, resilient teachers are found to possess problem-solving skills, a sense of self-
efficacy and an ability to engage in reflection (Leroux, Thort & Garon, 2010). Therefore, all
teachers, both pre-service and those in service, should be provided opportunities to self-question
and reflect in order to nurture their problem-solving skills (Leroux & Thort, 2014)."
"One challenge for pre-service and early career teachers can be asking for help when experiencing
difficulty (Fantilli & McDougall, 2009; Fleet, Kitson, Cassady & Ross, 2007; Flores, 2006; Jenkins,
Smith & Maxwell, 2009). Jenkins and colleagues found that beginning casual teachers in Australia
were worried that if they asked for help from the school administrative staff, then this could lead to
doubts about their ability and jeopardise their chances of future work. Nevertheless, help-seeking is
one of a wide variety of proactive problem-solving skills used by resilient teachers (Castro, Kelly &
Shih, 2010). Having a formal, trained mentor teacher who can offer practical and emotional support
can reduce the feelings of stigma regarding asking for help (Hirschkorn, 2009). Resilient teachers
can seek out their own mentor for assistance:
help-seeking, or the act of seeking assistance from others, becomes a way of self-preservation,
of establishing ones own resilience. Help-seeking requires the novice teacher to work with others
in order to attain needed information and resources. help-seeking strategies involved seeking
adopted mentors, advocating for resources, and acquiring allies to resolve problems (Castro et
al., 2010, p. 624)."
"Resilient teachers have been found to possess problem solving skills (Leroux, Thort, & Garon,
2010) and it has been advocated that action research and advanced problem-solving skills be
incorporated into teacher preparation programs (Castro, Kelly, & Shih, 2009). These authors found
that successful new teachers used a variety of self-initiated problem-solving processes to solve
dilemmas. For example, they could consult with others, or systematically research and apply
alternative solutions. A trial and error process, while used quite often, could actually result in other
problems such as their students being confused over changing processes. Tait (2008) also found
that resilient novice teachers used problem-solving strategies such as visualising solutions,
consulting with current and pre-service colleagues, and calling parents."
Ongoing professional learning
First thoughts
Always ask questions
Set learning goals
My thoughts on "My best friends, the APST"
Divide my goals into Short term and long term goals.
Make sure my goals align with the acronym, SMART.
New ideas
Time management skills
creative thinking skills
Quotes
"[A resilient teacher is] a teacher who can set goals and understand there will be ups & downs to
achieve them."
What do the experts say?
 "There are some areas of skills that can present challenges for even the most experienced
teachers. Classroom or behaviour management is one of the key areas in which all teachers
benefit from ongoing skill development (Beltman, Mansfield & Price, 2011). Teachers who have
doubts about their ability to manage classroom discipline are more likely to experience emotional
exhaustion and consider leaving their current position (Tsouloupas, Carson, Matthews, Grawitch,
and Barber, 2010). Similarly, pre-service teachers find classroom management to be a major
concern during professional placements (Kaldi, 2009). Other areas of concern, especially for early
career teachers are: working with colleagues and parents / caregivers (Castro, Kelly & Shih, 2009),
planning for students with exceptional needs (Fantilli & McDougall, 2009), and working as a casual
or substitute / relief teacher (Jenkins, Smith & Maxwell, 2009; McCormack & Thomas, 2005).
Dewey (1933) provides some reflection-enabling attitudes that are worthy of consideration as you
continue to develop your capacities as a teaching professional, including being:

open-minded this is where you examine the rationales (fundamental principles and reasons) that
underlie what you may initially take for granted as right and natural in schools, and then actively
question your own views and reaction;
responsible - carefully consider the consequences to which an action may lead, remembering that
in the school community context there are many stakeholders upon whom actions have an impact;
and
whole-hearted - being genuine and prepared to put your ideas into practice rather than not acting
for fear of making mistakes, being criticised, disturbing traditions or making changes.
"
"SMART goals may also be aligned with technical, practical and critical levels of thinking (Marland,
2007)
Levels of reflection

Technical reflection the means teachers use to achieve certain ends or goals, concerned with
efficiency and effectiveness of those means
Practical reflection - the goals (or ends) of the activity, the assumptions underlying the practices (or
means) and the actual outcomes of the activity
Critical reflection - Consideration of the ethical and moral issues (e.g. drugs, violence; selection of
novels or stories)

The importance of goal setting for learning has been known for a long time and is central to the
concept of self-regulation. Self-regulation refers to processes students use to activate and sustain
cognitions, behaviors, and affects, which are oriented toward the attainment of goals" (Schunk &
Zimmerman, 1996, p.154). Self-regulated learners are proactive and show personal initiative,
resourcefulness, persistence, a sense of responsibility and are self-motivated (Zimmerman, 1998).
The qualities listed here can be seen to be similar to the personal qualities or resources that can
enhance an individuals capacity for resilience. As Tait (2008) indicated, resilient teachers are not
only able to rebound after a difficult experience and learn from it, they set new goals for the future."
"When focusing on professional goal setting for ongoing learning, and aligning this with your
understanding of your role as a teacher, consideration of the ACARA General Capabilities may be
appropriate.
These include: Literacy, numeracy, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), thinking
skills, creativity, self-management, teamwork, intercultural understanding, ethical behaviour and
social competence."
Module "E": Emotions
What do you think are some characteristics of emotionally competent
teachers?
Act professional at all times
Have positive relationships with their students and colleagues
Are motivated and motivate their students
create emotionally safe learning environments
Enhancing emotional awareness
First thoughts
The teacher has let his emotions get the better of him and he is unable to control his emotions
need to consider not only your own emotions but the emotions of your students
emotions can build up over time and sometimes all it take to 'explode' is a small trigger.
My thoughts on ""
New ideas
Emotions are natural and it is up to you to decide how you will respond to them
Tips
"Studies show that if people adjust their facial expression to reflect an emotion, they actually begin
to feel that emotion."
"While researchers have not found any culture where people spontaneously smile when disgusted
or frown when they are happy, they have found some oddities. For example, the Japanese have a
harder time discerning anger in a face and tend to mask their facial expressions of unpleasant
feelings more than Americans."
"Of all facial expressions, the smile may be the most deceptive. There are around 18 different
smiles, including polite, cruel, false, self-effacing, and so on. But only one reflects genuine
happiness; this is known as the Duchenne smile, in honor of the French neurologist who
determined this phenomenon, Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne (de Boulogne)."
"A human can make over 10,000 facial expressions to express a wide variety of subtle emotions."
Quotes
"A resilient teacher can recognise their feelings towards a particular issue and manage situations
without making an issue personal"
What do the experts say?
"Since the beginning of this century, researchers have begun to pay more attention to the role that
emotions play in classroom life and learning. In their seminal 2002 publication, Meyer and Turner
argue that emotions are intertwined in teachers instructional responses and students beliefs and
actions and that emotion, motivation and cognition are equal components in the social process of
learning (p. 107). A range of positive and negative emotions experienced by teachers have been
identified (see Sutton & Wheatley, 2003, for a review) and dominant negative emotions have been
associated with teacher burnout (Chang, 2009). Positive emotions on the other hand have been
cited as important for teacher resilience and motivation (Morgan, Ludlow, Kitching, OLeary &
Clarke, 2010).
Research also acknowledges that early career teachers often feel unprepared for the emotional
work of teaching and that teachers who regulate their emotions are healthier (Newberry, 2013;
Woolfolk Hoy, 2013). Woolfolk Hoy (2013) argues that teacher education programs should assist
pre-service teachers developing emotion regulation strategies as well as learning to regulate their
social support networks to better prepare them for the profession."
Managing emotions
My thoughts on ""
New ideas
 Take deep breaths
Think of positive things
Try not to be in situations which may trigger uncontrollable emotions
Tips
"Next time you experience an emotion try the ACT steps. Reflect on which of these steps you
currently use."
"If you find yourself experiencing unwanted emotions, think about what triggers the emotions and
avoid those situations, or if it is a classroom situation, change your instructional approach so things
run more smoothly."
"Know what strategies help you remain calm. Breathe, use a soft, slow voice and maybe change
activity. Music can also have a calming effect."
"Maximise positive emotions by reminding yourself of the actions that helped trigger the positive
emotions. Incorporate activities that generate positive emotions into your teaching."
"Teach your students about managing their emotions. This is important at all levels of schooling.
You may be able to role model some strategies to help your students."
"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."
"Brainstorm solutions and use your problem solving skills to find the best way through."
"See the big picture and keep perspective. Is the issue an issue teachers typically face at some
stage? If so, how have others managed? Talk to others about it."
"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
"If I want to perform well at football I need to manage my emotions. I have learnt that emotions left
over from other events influence my performance. I use music to change my emotional state. I use
it to relax and also to fire me up before training. Sometimes I focus on my breath or use self-talk if I
feel my emotions are running away from me on the field. This can happen when there is a bad call
from the umpire or when I am getting a lot of treatment from the opposition. When we are losing I
narrow my focus and stick tightly with the game plan."
"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."
What do the experts say?
"The process of managing emotions is better known in the literature as emotion regulation.
Research into teacher emotion regulation has found that teachers believe their capacity to relate
their emotions is related to perceived effectiveness (Sutton, 2004) and that teachers tend to down-
regulate negative emotions and up regulate positive emotions. Perhaps not surprisingly,
classroom management has been associated with the need for teachers to be good at regulating
emotions (Sutton, Mudrey-Camino & Knight, 2009) and in particular balance the need for caring
and order (Woolfolk Hoy, 2013). Fried (2011) argues that pre-service teachers will benefit from a
greater understanding of the role of emotions in the teaching profession (p. 123) and that such
knowledge will have benefits for their professional and personal lives."
Developing optimism
My thoughts on ""
New ideas
It can make children feel they are in a safe and valued classroom environment
It will keep you motivated and help you to increase motivation in your students
Tips
 "Use positive affirmations on a daily basis. Get in the habit of recognizing things you have done
well. Take a few moments every day to ask the question, "What have I done well today?" This
simple gesture reinforces optimism."
"Always remember that virtually any failure can be a learning experience, and an important step
toward your next success."
"Keep in mind that the more you practice challenging your thought patterns, the more automatic it'll
become."
"Remember that youll have many opportunities to do better in the future."
"Surround yourself with positive people."
"See the solutions not the problems."
"Work on the things you can control."
"Using humour with your students can be a good way of building relationships, easing tension and
developing a comfortable working environment."
"You dont have to consider yourself to be a humorous person to use humour effectively."
"Humour is context and audience dependent so consider the things that your students may find
funny."
"Avoid using sarcasm with students or using humour to make fun of others."
"Consider what might and might not be culturally appropriate when using humour with your class
and colleagues."
"Use humour when and where you are comfortable with it."
"Teachers sometimes use playful humour to teach content, for example through games, parodies,
puns, stories and creativity. This can also enhance students engagement "
"Did you know that laughter is good for your health? It relaxes your body for up to 45 minutes,
boosts your immune system, triggers the release of endorphins protects your heart."
Quotes
"A resilient teacher has a positive outlook, a friendly, calm disposition, is self-confident and reliable
and doesnt sweat the small stuff"
"A resilient teacher can handle both the good and bad times in a classroom and find strategies to
allow them to maintain a positive look at their job"
"A resilient teacher must have a good sense of humour kids excel when they feel safe, respected
and know they are still allowed to laugh"
"A resilient teacher can laugh about the bad/stressful events that occur and does her best to start
each day with a happy attitude"
What do the experts say?
"Important aspects of emotional competence for teachers include the capacity to manage feelings,
persist, handle stress and confront failure with optimism (Tait, 2008, p. 60). Optimism is an
important cognitive filter (Forgeard & Seligman, 2012) that influences an individuals perception of
the world and interpretation of events, which in turn influences reactions and adaptive processes.
Optimism has been associated with numerous positive consequences such as higher levels of
subjective well-being, fewer symptoms of depression, and use of adaptive coping strategies
(Forgeard & Seligman, 2012). Teacher resilience researchers have also described optimism as an
important protective factor for teacher resilience (Beltman, Mansfield & Price, 2012; Tait, 2008) and
well-being. Tyson, Roberts and Kane (2009) suggest the possibility that teachers using an
optimistic thinking and resilience program (Aussie Optimism) with their students may also benefit.
Their findings showed teachers involved in the program had lower levels of job related anxiety and
depression."
"Recent research has shown that humour can play an important role in the resilience process. E.
Cameron, Fox, Anderson and C. Cameron (2010) for example found that adolescents deemed at-
risk used various forms of humour (teasing, joking, physical play, sarcasm and parody) to assist
them dealing with complex socially sensitive topics and to enhance relationships with friends and
family. The socioemotional roles played by humour can have a protective influence in challenging
situations. In relation to teachers, Bobek (2002) identified sense of humour as one of five factors
that contributes to teacher retention and Bullough (2012) argues that humour plays an important
role in teacher well-being, student learning and school renewal.
Bullough (2012) specifically describes two types of humour. Light (or positive) humour is that
which typically lowers tension, enhances connections and interactions between people, and is
generally energizing and fun (p. 286). Light humour may be seen in jokes, puns, wit and results in
mirth, amusement and positive feelings. Dark humour on the other hand, may express discontent
and resistance, and can be used to denigrade, undermine or indirectly attack others. Dark humour
reflects a desire for self-protection and superiority and can be seen in sarcasm, mocking and
ridicule. Good humour, which is mostly light helps sustain both the cognitive and relational
conditions needed for getting outside of expected definitions and easy solutions and for coping
with unfavorable conditions when they seem impermeable to change (p. 293)."