Case studies
I am privileged to have been able to take part in the Reimagining The Diary Toolkit project. 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. Some activities were really surprising for me. Had I not engaged with The Diary Toolkit, I would not have come to this realisation. I found out the activities that had a positive impact for me, and those activities that particularly helped me to decompress and really reflect on my day, which can only be a good thing. The act of making time for myself to use the diary toolkit was an act of self-care in itself and one that everyone should have the opportunity to experience. In time, I shared The Diary Toolkit within my school, and other staff found similar benefits. Using The Diary Toolkit had such a profoundly positive impact on my well-being, that I continue to use it and benefit from it being part of my day. Everyone should use The Diary Toolkit to support their well-being and self care.
It’s been a pleasure working with Lucy on this exciting project during this particularly challenging period for the profession.
The diary toolkit is the real life physical reminder to support you with your #teacher5aday. When embraced, the Diary Toolkit is transformational for all staff in schools and we’ve got the data to prove it.
We all know teachers love stationery. This particular piece of the essential modern teacher equipment will improve the well-being of you and your team which in turn will impact on the well-being of your pupils and consequently their outcomes.
As a first-time teacher at the university, the challenges felt overwhelming. From lesson plans to marking, it was a whirlwind. I began using The Diary Toolkit towards the end of my first year and the difference was clear. 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.
When starting the Diary Toolkit Project I pledged to ‘create a daily space for reflection that empowers my well-being and makes time to connect, learn and notice’. In reality the project gave me the reflection skills I needed so that, amazingly, in my 30th year of teaching I developed the ability to step back and reflect on the good, the bad and the somewhat surreal elements of my everyday life as a Headteacher. It required determination and practice, but with the support of Lucy, Martin and the Diary Toolkit structure I selected reflection tools to suit my busy daily life and I established ‘healthy thinking’ habits that have stayed with me ever since. I find the weekly ‘affirmation’ particularly useful as well as doodling and voice recordings. This has all been so much more than a diary.
My experience of using The Diary Toolkit has been very positive. I was introduced to it at a time when I had a lot of new things happening as I entered a new phase in my career – as well as the usual demands of my ‘real life’ at home! The toolkit became 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 to chance to customise the toolkit to suit my mood. It also means I can be flexible with the amount of time I spend on it. It’s definitely worth making this a habit each day as it became a small piece of quiet time where I can process what was going for me in the moment and opportunity to focus on the positives as well as working through what’s not going so well.
