Leading a school returning after a national lockdown and in the middle of a pandemic is a unique situation. Every school context is different and guidance can be applied in different yet equally suitable ways. For me this term has reminded me of how to survive a traumatic event. Live each moment as it comes. Many times this term I have had to have a micro mindful moment to pull myself together as I knew others were looking to me for a calm response to the situations which arose.
As a trained teacher dealing with an infectious virus in a school community has been a steep learning curve. From the first moment children and adults started to arrive back in school flow charts and scripts were pinned to my office wall. I kept saying to myself that it was the calm before the storm and we needed to use the time to get prepared. That preparation phase paid off. From the first confirmed case phone call you learn to trust your preparation. Trust your flow chart and calmly phone those in situ to support.
Leaders need a support network and need to recognise when their teams are reaching the point of exhaustion. Making sure that the minute you leave your office it is with a calm we can do this exterior dialogue. Your internal dialogue might be that you are in a rudiculous position but educators are not epidemiologists and can only take decisions they feel are right for others.
One thing I have had to work on this term has been packing away my troubles at the end of the day. Ruminating and catastrophising takes you down an exhausting rabbit hole. When a confirmed covid-19 case lands on our shoulders to deal with you need mental alertness. My go to is immersing myself in other peoples lives via Reality TV. On Monday evening I wondered how the cast of Made in Chelsea would handle working in a school in this pandemic. The reality of children going hungry during school holidays, children struggling to have access to digital learning and staff struggling to find time to exercise against the trials of the MiC and the housewives of Cheshire gives me the energy needed to go into school day after day. We make a difference as teachers and open the door for brighter futures. Switching off is critical to avoid burn out. Half term is necessary to get our old grin back!
Leading in this pandemic has reminded me that being an adult is hard work. There is no point hoping and longing for the cavalry to arrive. Conversations around how long we have to deal with the current way of teaching can be mentally draining. The cavalry are our amazing scientists but we can't put a date on when this will all end. So we all need to find a way to move on from the stress of our school setting, find a way to laugh and be realistic. This is the new normal. Be proud of everything you have achieved this term. Brace yourself for next term being worse but trust your planning. We can all do this. We already are. 
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