When the spark fades

Finding your way back to purpose in school life

There’s a quiet kind of tiredness that creeps in over time.
Not the sort that can be fixed with an early night or a weekend off, but something deeper—a slow fading of energy, motivation, and meaning.

You might notice it in small ways.
That edge of indifference creeping into things you used to care about.
The way you’ve started to withdraw, just a little. Doing the job, yes—but not much more. The spark that once fuelled your work flickers, and it’s hard to know what to do about it.

And the hardest part? On the outside, everything might look fine. You’re still turning up. Still delivering. Still getting the job done. But inside, there’s a quiet ache—like you’ve been carrying too much for too long, and now something in you has gone still.

This isn’t failure. It’s fatigue.

And it’s more common than you think.

Especially now. Especially in schools.

Over the past few years, teachers and school leaders have navigated extraordinary pressure, change, and emotional toil. You’ve given and given—and somewhere along the way, it’s easy to lose sight of your own needs, your own why.

This isn’t about weakness or a lack of resilience. It’s about the very human cost of care. The toll of constantly adapting. The weight of responsibility when the stakes always feel high and the space to rest or reflect feels almost impossible.

You might not even be sure what you’re feeling. Is it burnout? Disengagement? Boredom? A quiet kind of grief?

Whatever you call it, the truth is: you are not broken. You’re just tired.

So what now?

You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight.
You don’t need to “go back” to how you used to feel.

But maybe, gently, you could begin to reconnect.

With what matters. With what you love.
With the version of yourself who still believes there’s room for joy and meaning in this work—even if things feel heavy right now.

That might mean asking some brave questions:
What’s changed for me?
What do I want now?
What am I ready to let go of?

It might mean shifting something small—your hours, your boundaries, your expectations. Or it might mean starting a bigger conversation about your career, your identity, your next chapter.

Not because you have to leave. But because you deserve to feel alive in your work again—not just functioning.

Coaching doesn’t hand you answers

But it can offer you space. A pause. A place to think.
Somewhere you can stop performing and start reflecting.
Somewhere to say: “I’m not sure anymore,” without fear or shame.

And from that space, something shifts.

A little clarity. A little courage.
A reconnection with the part of you that knows: you’re not meant to stay stuck.

You’re allowed to want more

More purpose. More energy. More you.

You don’t have to wait for permission.
You don’t have to pretend everything’s fine.

If you're standing at a crossroads—unsure but ready—I’d love to walk alongside you as you take the next step.

No pressure. No fixing. Just space to begin again.