This is the eighth part of my Reflection Series – a self-reflection of my year teaching in the UK.

What has caused you the most stress this year?

I cannot point to one single most stressful thing about this year, it is all clumped in together adding to the strain. Any one of the stressful things on their own would have been easy enough to deal with, but when they all start to pile up, well that’s when it really gets tough.

This is another one of those posts that would just be rehashing old content in a new light, which is something I’d prefer not to do.

Instead, if you haven’t already done so, please go and have a read of the following posts from throughout the year and from earlier stages of this reflection:

• My most challenging student – having to teach students on a higher level of nastiness and disrespect than I was used to definitely added to the stress factor. This kid was one of the worst, but there were many similar to him. At least I learned a lot?
• Organisational challenges are usually technology related – A very simple thing, not having a school laptop and only having desktops in the rooms at school, but it added a level of unnecessary complexity.
• Frustrations – each one of these added to the stress levels in a real and definite way, and are probably the greatest causes of my stress this year.
• The ridiculousness that is RSI – again, a simple and unnecessary setback that had implications for my ability to be my best professional self.
• Physical intimidation – a huge event that probably was a key driver in my developed anxiety.