How To Support Staff Dealing With Day To Day Issues in The Classroom
18 Jun, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- About the day-to-day issues teaching faces in the classroom.
- How to support staff dealing with issues in the classroom.
- Discover more about our education recruitment services.
Whilst teaching is an extremely rewarding career path, working with children and young people 5 days a week can sometimes come with challenges. Whether it's mainstream schools, specialist schools or academies, a multi-faceted approach is needed to ensure that Teachers and Teaching Assistants are equipped with the confidence and tools to face classroom challenges head on.
Not only is this support essential for teaching, it can have a positive impact on student learning and wellbeing, as well as staff retention. From providing mental health guidance to offering professional development opportunities, schools should empower educators to excel in their roles.
Throughout this blog, you’ll discover how to support staff dealing with day to day issues in the classroom to make sure that teaching continues to be an engaging and satisfying profession.
What are day to day issues in the classroom?
Day to day issues teaching staff deal with include:
- Disruptive behaviour.
- Diverse learning needs.
- Mental health concerns - for both students and teaching staff.
- Workload pressures.
- Advancements in technology.
- Educational trends and curriculum changes.
- Burnout and stress.
How to support staff dealing with day to day issues
Methods for supporting staff dealing with day to day issues include:
- Take a proactive and consistent approach to disruptive behaviour.
- Encourage regular staff check-ins and open communication.
- Provide mental health support.
- Offer continuous development and practical training sessions.
- Address workload to save time.
Take a proactive and consistent approach to disruptive behaviour
According to a survey by the Teachers Union, in the last 12 months, 96% of respondents experienced backchat and rudeness from pupils and 87% said the number of pupils verbally abusing staff members has increased.
The types of abuse and disruption to teaching is rapidly rising; to manage disruptive behaviour in the classroom, it’s important that schools implement a multi-faceted approach to deal with consistent disruptions that can affect learning and pupils' educational development.
Proactive strategies and a clear, school-wide behaviour policy ensures staff know they’re supported when managing disruptive behaviour.
A behaviour policy may include targeted support and can even involve parents and carers to ensure that behaviour and attitudes change in the classroom and at home. Having clear policy expectations and strategies to deal with disruptions can help staff respond consistently and confidently, reducing stress and creating a more positive learning environment.
Encourage regular staff check-ins and open communication
It’s important to be aware of how your teaching staff are feeling and to identify any challenges they may be facing. Regular staff check-ins are a valuable way to stay informed about what’s happening in the classroom and to explore practical ways to offer support and improve working conditions.
Equally important is ensuring that there are trusted individuals such as senior leaders or wellbeing champions who advocate for teaching staff and provide support. Having regular check-ins, such as 121s, can help teaching staff open up and reflect on what’s working well and areas where they might need support in the classroom, whether that be dealing with pupil disruptions or managing their workload.
By creating a supportive work environment that encourages open communication and honesty, Teachers and Teaching Assistants can feel confident coming forward with any issues and feel more empowered in the classroom.
Provide mental health support
Mental health support is crucial and schools need to prioritise staff wellbeing in order to prevent burnout. Stress, lack of sleep and low energy can negatively affect mood and an educator's ability to teach, inspire and engage students.
According to the National Education Union, almost two thirds of Teachers believe that stress affects them more than 60% of the time. Having the time and space to manage stress and debrief outside of the classroom can ensure that Teachers are confidently able to deal with day to day issues in the classroom.
The Wellbeing at Work Survey revealed that 73% of Teachers say their school does not provide staff with workspaces that promote wellbeing. By granting teaching staff access to help and support such as guidance counsellors or behaviour specialists, schools can ensure that educators feel supported, valued and equipped to manage their roles.
Schools can offer staff access to support services in order to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce and maintain a healthy school environment.
Offer continuous development and practical training sessions
Career development can address numerous challenges in the classroom by enhancing Teacher skills and boosting confidence. If teaching staff are struggling to keep up with new technology trends, changes to curriculum or how best to support students with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) or Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties in the classroom, it’s vital that they have opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and insight.
Day-to-day tasks in the classroom, such as handling sensitive conversations with students and adapting lessons for mixed-ability groups, can be effectively addressed through training that strengthens communication skills and focuses on building positive, supportive relationships.
By staying up to date with best practices, Teachers can improve communications and better adapt to diverse learning needs, leading to better student outcomes. Continuous professional development and training can also boost employee satisfaction and wellbeing as it can give Teachers and Teaching Assistants the confidence they need to handle challenges and feel more secure in their skills.
Address workload to save time
School staff, especially Teachers, are experiencing overwhelm with their workload and the demands of their role. Many teaching staff are juggling more than just classroom responsibilities - from admin tasks and planning to meetings and behaviour solutions. When these demands pile up, it can lead to frustration, burnout and reduced effectiveness.
The Wellbeing at Work Survey found that 54% of Teachers say their workload has been the main factor for increased work-related stress, followed by pupil behaviour (36%).
Maintaining a healthy work life balance is crucial as unmanageable workloads can have a negative impact on the day to day classroom experience. Schools can promote work life balance by reviewing workload expectations and limiting unnecessary administrative tasks.
To alleviate the workload, schools can implement strategies for smarter workflows such as streamlining administrative tasks and utilising technology to simplify tasks and save time. Collaborative planning and shared resources can also help staff feel supported and able to deal with issues regarding workload and demands that take time away from educating pupils.
Meet Jamie Heath
Recruit teaching staff
As a specialist education recruitment agency, we support mainstream and SEND schools with their temporary, permanent and temp-perm staffing needs.
We currently work with hundreds of schools and have exclusive access to some of the best Teachers and Teaching Assistants in the North West.
If you’re struggling to fill a teaching vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?
- Primary schools - Jimmy Callagher
- Secondary schools - Liam Jones
- SEND schools - Jamie Heath
Teaching jobs
If you’re searching for your next teaching job, why not take a look at the latest teaching vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations.
In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
