When she was education secretary, Nicky Morgan once commented that children shouldn’t even know that it’s Sats week and, while I think I know what she was getting at, the truth is that it’s not a “normal” week and it doesn’t feel like that for many of us.
We rightly focus a lot on the children during this week, but making sure that the adults are supported too can make a big difference for everyone. So if you’ve struggled at the start of this week, here are my seven suggestions to boost your morale and help you make it through to Friday.
- Acceptance
This might sound silly, but accepting that Sats week is happening and it is what it is (for now at least!) can actually help you feel better about things. It doesn’t mean you have to like it or agree with every aspect of it or that you don’t want Sats to be completely overhauled in the future, but it does mean you’re not resisting the fact that it’s happening, which allows you to direct your energy towards more useful things and get on with the task at hand.
- Focus on the children
Of course this is what most of us are doing anyway, but if you get caught up in your thoughts and you can feel some negative feelings stirring, try to shift your focus back to the children and what they need you to do right now so they can be in the right position to achieve their best. We all know that, as teachers, we set the weather in our classrooms and our moods and dispositions can be catching. You have the power to set the tone during Sats week, just like any other week, so think about what mood you want the children to “catch” off you.
- Get outdoors
I can’t think of any problem or low mood that can’t be even slightly improved by getting outdoors. Do what you can to get yourself, your team and the children outside - British weather permitting, of course! If you have any school pets, try to give children access to them - the calming powers of stroking a guinea pig are something I’ve witnessed first hand!
- Show your appreciation for your team midweek
Even the smallest gesture can have a big impact during what can be a stressful week and there’s no need to wait until the end of the week to do it. Something as small as a packet of biscuits to go with coffee at break time can go a long way. Even better: sit down and share them all together. Think about how you could do something similar for the children, too, if it’s appropriate.
- Remind everyone of the big picture
For some children, their Sats result may never tell the whole story of the progress they have made. While that is disheartening on one level, don’t forget that part of their story - and don’t let them forget that either, especially if they’re struggling.
- Be honest
If you are finding things tough, for whatever reason, share your worries with a colleague. Keeping up morale isn’t about faking it; being able to be honest about how you’re feeling is what pulls people together, and, who knows, maybe your colleagues are feeling the same and will feel some sort of comfort that they’re not alone. Equally, create an atmosphere where children can voice how they’re feeling too.
- Don’t tell yourself ‘It doesn’t matter’
Hearing platitudes like “the Sats results don’t matter anyway” may not actually be that helpful because the reality is the results are important - on many different levels - but they are not absolutely everything.
Claire Lotriet is an assistant headteacher at Henwick Primary School in London. She is the Tes ed-tech columnist and tweets @OhLottie
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