Welcome to Teach Flourish Thrive with Rowena Hicks

I am so glad you have found this site. I hope it has resources that encourage you to see that there are strategies and people who can support you to re ignite your passion for teaching. If you are struggling to survive the stresses of workload, expectations and you lack energy and feel out of control, you are in the right place!

Here you will find strategies and even a community to give you courage, discover again your passion, productivity and job satisfaction – become the best version of you (benefit YOU, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR PUPILS AND YOUR COLLEAGUES!).

Join our online, supportive community for FREE at Preventing Teacher Burnout

about teach flourish thrive

Hi, I’m Rowena. I’ve worked in education for over 30 years, both as a class teacher, special needs coordinator, masters tutor and finally Deputy Head. I have a passion for supporting all school staff to find their value, their strengths and to believe in themselves more, in order to be the best version of themselves. You will see some samples from the book, and some reviews here. Also some short videos. Let me know what you think, I love feedback and what you’d like to hear more of!

Why do school staff so often underestimate their value? I suggest it is time for you to discover your worth and see the impact for you and your team.

I’m a teacher and I’ve worked in schools for over 30 years. Like the rest of those I worked with, I would end up at the end of each term so exhausted, drained, and empty.

Staff use words such as unseen, undervalued, and frustrated. Is that OK? We seem to take this for granted, but I want to suggest it is not OK! We do this work because we want to make a difference in the lives of children. I would argue that now is the time to invest in yourself.

This is not a selfish, self-indulgent book. This will empower you and benefit your team.

This book is for you if you want to become the best version of you. I have collected stories from many schools and from a range of school staff. It’s about bacon sandwiches, cleaning toilets, marching in the snow and climbing trees.

It is full of small, simple steps for you to try so you have more energy, enjoyment and fulfillment at work.

Why did I end up shaving a line on my child’s head? You will find out in the book, but imagine me, a mum of four, late back from work, trying to cook dinner while getting my child ready for a trip…

Reviews

It was so good to receive a copy of your book with its rare combination of lightheartedness and deep thoughtfulness – such an effective way to address such serious matters. Reading it added to my thinking about the responsibility of leaders for creating and sustaining the conditions in which people work and seek meaning in their lives. So many people in business, health, education etc seem to be either “micro-managed” or “neglected” or – the most damaging – both. You describe so clearly the consequences of not treating people as people and suggest in such straightforward terms what people can do to strengthen and sustain themselves when that is the case.

Professor Stamp in UK

How to survive in teaching in school!

This is a well written book to help teachers and teaching assistants survive the stress of working in today's schools. The author has a wealth of experience in teaching and SEN work in particular and has been to the edge! She writes from the heart. The book is full of good ideas about dealing with children and colleagues and the stresses that can result. It includes ideas for helping yourself and helping you realise you are doing a good job even if no one else is telling you you are!! Modern schooling with its performance metrics is challenging and stressful and this book certainly helps you cope and survive. As someone who spent 15 years as a TA in class and working with the SENCO I saw and experienced the stresses first hand. I wish I had had this book 15 years ago!

A teaching assistant’s view

Real and helpful

“I would recommend this book - it’s easy to read, thoughtful and funny. The author’s honesty and sense of humour shine through as encouragement for all staff who work in school. A super mix of theory and practice.”

A UK Secondary school teacher

A treasure chest of tools, tips and truthful tales.

Rowena’s stories offer heartfelt illustrations of the points she is making and the tools being offered to help school staff get from frantic to flourishing. There’s a LOT of material here in this slim volume, so much that it might feel overwhelming. But it’s like different facets of a gemstone, each giving a different perspective into deeper issues that arise in the frontline of school education. You could start anywhere and get value from the ideas and questions in the chapters of this book. Highly recommended reading for anyone in this sector, or even viewing it from the outside world.

A retired Further Education teacher:

MUST READ!!

This book is an exciting read which demonstrates the author’s wide knowledge and teachings. It’s a hot take on how to help boost morale and self-worth within teaching environments. The art and interactive elements kept me engaged throughout. Easily a 5 star read!

My youngest child’s view of the book, having recently finished school, and lived with me for 18 years

I came away feeling much better about myself and as if my soul had been given a tune-up.

I loved this book. It has lots of stories and its also a bit of a workbook, and it didn't take me long to read but it really challenged me. I struggle not to find all my value in achieving things at work - getting things done, and this great book challenged me to find my value in lots of different things. I came away feeling much better about myself, more whole and as if my soul had been given a tune-up. Its a book specifically designed for people who work in schools - teachers, TAs, other staff and leaders, but its also relevant for all of us.

A charity director:

Down-to-earth, and full of stories and examples, this is a book written with passion, energy and vulnerability about coping with the challenges faced by teachers in the hectic world of education. Rowena writes from her wealth of real life experience in different schools, from the bottom to the top, with many practical suggestions and exercises for the reader. It is well researched, and full of practical wisdom. The principles can equally be applied to any busy organisation which relies on effective relationships, where affirming others and being self-aware can make such a difference.

The view of an international business person:

Teachers MUST read this, but so should everyone else!!

This is a must read - it is a book that would transform the teaching profession if everyone involved could read it, helping not only school staff, but the children they teach! It is short and to the point, engaging and interactive, easy to read, but sending the most important of messages to the reader. I can't recommend it more, and I'm not even a teacher!! It is something everyone needs to read as its content transfers across professions. It’s about time we had a reference like this for supporting the most important of professions. Thank you Rowena Gallon!

A GP

I am not a teacher, but I ended up picked up a copy of How I Ended up Shaving a Bald Patch in My Child’s Hair, and am convinced that this could be renamed How to Keep Yourself Sane while Working. Ms. Gallon obviously has been in the trenches for a while, which is evidenced by the numerous adventures she tells in the book, which show her at her best, as well as frequently at her most vulnerable. The book is well written, with exercises, self-reflection, hints, and guidance on how to obtain, capture, use, and celebrate your best self. There’s a lot of material here, and she does an admirable job of putting some order to it. I mean, how do you organize taking care of yourself? It should start from our beginnings, but if it’s gotten lost in the whirlwind of life, taking it back is a BIG challenge! Not to mention just deciding you’re worth it, and developing it from scratch. A huge job, and breaking it down into small, doable steps, while you continue to juggle the rest of your life, is Gallon’s strength. If you’re a teacher or in a school system, the tips in this book are really a priceless model for surviving and thriving in that environment. Until Ms. Gallon expands her horizons to cover other fields that need this essential information, invest the small amount for a copy of the school guide and allow yourself to be gently, humorously led to health.

A business owner in USA: