Schools are perhaps the most scrutinised of all institutions. Teachers and staff are always under a magnifying glass held by parents, community members, employers, social welfare groups and government departments. Examining schools and teachers by registration boards and performance management units is constant. Processes by which schools and staff administer education are being constantly updated and applied. Curriculum priorities are forever being altered. ‘Compliance’ and ‘accountability’ seem to be the most important keywords within school action and teacher performance plans.

Government demands are poured upon educators. Expectations, many of them constantly changing, cascade upon schools like torrential rain. These pressures can become quite destabilising.

This is especially the case when principals and leadership teams feel that everything demanded of schools by the system (and of the system in turn by the Government) has to be instantly grasped and wedged into practice. Knee-jerk reactions cause inner disquiet for staff, who are often reluctant to change practices without justification but are pressured to make and justify those changes.

Before change is implemented, school staff, council and community members should have the chance to understand the new policy and direction fully. ‘Making haste slowly’ is wise but challenging when the government gives little time for a response.

The constant change in educational direction does little to positively enhance how those working within schools feel about what they are doing. Staff become ‘focussed by worry’. Is what they are doing good enough? Teachers may maintain brave faces but, beneath the surface, suffer from self-doubt. This, in turn, leads to discontent and unhappiness.

Positive Atmosphere A Must

School principals and leadership teams must offer reassurance and build confidence within their teaching and support staff groups. This does not mean lowering standards but acknowledging and appreciating staff effort. Making that appreciation public can help by sharing teachers’ struggles with the broader community.

Well-being cannot be bought as a material resource. Neither can it be lassoed, harnessed or tied down. The ‘feel’ of a school is an intangible quality generated from within. It is a product of the professional relationships developed within the organisation. School atmosphere, which grows from the tone and harmony within, is precious. That feeling can also be lost if positive recognition and appreciation of staff is discounted or not considered necessary.

It is up to Principals and leadership teams to ensure that a positive atmosphere, precious yet fragile, is built and maintained. It is easy to lose the feeling of positivism, which is necessary if an organisation grows and thrives based on its human spirit.

I recommend the wisdom of building spirit within our schools. It will add to feelings of staff satisfaction and well-being. Stability and happiness within school workplaces, embracing staff, students and community, will result.