The Diary Toolkit is a creative, multimodal and structured approach to reflection that supports educator wellbeing. It offers a bespoke approach to diary-keeping that is designed by you, for you.
Furthermore, it changes with you because wellbeing is an ongoing and dynamic process.
Here, you can find out more about the Diary Toolkit and the ‘Reimagining the Diary’ project, as well as downloading a PDF of your own Diary Toolkit. To help you use your Diary Toolkit to its fullest potential, I will be sharing my own insights and top tips, as well as linking the Diary Toolkit to my current work around perfectionism and how to navigate it within the education sector.
The Diary Toolkit – crafted BY educators FOR educators.
My vision
My vision with this website and with the Diary Toolkit/ ‘Reimagining the Diary’ project is to promote diary-keeping as a positive tool for educator wellbeing. I want us to become a sector of avid diary-keepers because I truly believe that diary-keeping – especially when that diary is bespoke, multimodal and creative – offers valuable insights and information about ourselves which we can use to flourish, personally and professionally.
Indeed, part of my vision is for us to become a sector where encouraging, and supporting, individual and collective wellbeing is normalised. Whilst I acknowledge – and actively want – the need for systemic change, I do think we, as individuals and teams/departments/schools, can use diary-keeping as part of this shift. It’s a space to press pause, to turn inwards and to really think about wellbeing in a dynamic, multidimensional way which, in turn, will help to avoid tokenistic measures and/or shoe-horned approaches suggested by policy makers and the government.
We need to be agentic and explore our own wellbeing because, through this, we will build the confidence – and evidence bank – to challenge the current narrative on educator wellbeing and to rewrite it. And, it must change if we want to keep – and recruit – the wonderful people who make up our profession.
My impact
Education staff impacted so far
How it works
Download the pack for free here, you can print it or save the images and do the activties in your own notebook.
Step 1: Making Transitions Seamless
Changing from work mode to a zen state can feel like scaling Everest, especially under the weight of the many varied responsibilities that come with working in education. Here’s where our Toolkit doubles as your personal decompression chamber. Compact enough to tag along everywhere, yet spacious enough to house your deepest thoughts and biggest brain-dumps.
Using the Diary spinner, choose from 12 bite-sized activities with a flick of the wheel. This tactile experience turbocharges your reflection practice, tailoring a unique diary that feels like a gift made just for you.
Example: Bouncy Ball
Find yourself a bouncy ball. It can be any size – a small rubber ball, tennis ball or basketball. Bounce the ball, catching it as it comes back up to the height of your hips.
Do you need two hands to bounce and catch?
Can you try it with one hand or use alternate hands to throw and catch?
Notice the change of feeling in your body as you ‘play’ by focussing on the ball for about 3 minutes. The element of play in an otherwise adult day is soothing to your nervous system and helps soften the focus of your mind.
Step 2: Thought Provoking Activities
Once you have completed a transition activity, you’ll now be in the right frame of mind to move on to the activity section of your Diary Toolkit. There are 21 activities. Some you’ll love, and some you won’t. Place the ones you love at the front, and the ones you don’t at the back and you’ll be left with a Diary Toolkit built just for you.
Example: Storyboarding
Guess what happened today?
When you got back from work today (or yesterday if you are doing this in the morning), were there any stories from the day that stuck in your mind? A funny interaction with a student? Or some kind of mishap?
Record the episode in your own comic book/graphic novel style using the storyboard picture and text boxes on the following pages. If sketching isn’t your thing, stick people will do the job nicely.
Each activity comes with helpful tips, and once complete, you decide whether to keep, destroy or share your entry with others.
Step 3: Create a new healthy habit
The activities have the most impact when you do them daily, but I understantd that might take some builiding up to.
Think about when you will need to reflect and process the most and add your Diary Toolkit into that timeframe.
Habit stacking is the easiest way to create a habit that sticks. This is when you add in soemthing new to an existing habit. So if you already have a cup of tea every day at 4pm, add in 5 minutes of diary writing. Or if you like to sit in your car for a few minutes when you get home, leave your notebook in there to help you process more effectivley.
Don’t gatekeep great ideas!
Please share this with all your friends and colleagues that work in education and get in touch to let me know how you are getting on. I’d love to hear from you.
‘As someone who has been teaching for 27 years, and involved in supporting teachers at all stages of their careers, I know the importance of well-being. I am also a working mum of four. Life is busy, and teaching can be rewarding, but also stressful. I found that by using The Diary Toolkit I discovered new and varied ways of reflecting on my daily life.’
‘The toolkit has become a valuable part of taking stock: I complete The Diary Toolkit at the end of the day, and it really cuts down the amount of time I spent lying in bed with 101 thoughts swirling round my head. The variety of tasks is a really useful feature. Some work for me -others don’t – which is why it’s great to have the chance to customise the Toolkit to suit my mood.’
‘The Diary Toolkit really helped me find clarity, direction, and most importantly a sense of calm. It not only helped me stay organised but also made me reflect on my experiences as an educator. Every educator-in-the-making needs this toolkit.’
Download the resources for free now!
Become part of a movement that empowers educators to prioritise their wellbeing. Our mission is to equip every educator with the tools and knowledge to achieve a balanced, fulfilling life – whatever ‘balanced’ looks like for you. We’re reshaping the wellbeing landscape for educators, and we’d love for you to be a part of our story.
Ready to Start a Journey Towards a Happier, Healthier You?
Take the first step and start your journey with The Diary Toolkit today.
Let’s raise a toast to your achievements, learn how to manage stress in a productive way, and take steps towards a healthier, happier, and more resilient lifestyle. Start today, because as tomorrow’s to-do list might tell you, procrastination is not part of the job description!
