In this episode, host Nathan Walker engages with Matt Hyde, a former PE teacher who transitioned into counselling and psychotherapy through his company, Elephant Counselling. Matt shares unique insights into how physical education can serve as a crucial vehicle for well-being for both students and staff, drawing on his 20 years of experience in education.
The Well-being Mandate and PE’s Unique Position
Matt argues that well-being is bespoke, unique, and highly individualised. He views PE as being “uniquely positioned” within the school day because it offers “escapism” – a necessary break from the intense academic focus of the classroom.
His core message, delivered during his school workshops and talks, focuses on balancing compulsory activities with personal goals:
- Make the things you have to do tolerable or doable (e.g. compulsory participation, bringing kit).
- Make the things you want to do outstanding and wonderful.
This philosophy underpins his approach to behaviour, attendance and attainment, stressing that pressure is necessary. “Stress pressure makes diamonds”, but students must be equipped to handle these challenging aspects. He advocates for providing young people with “lots of choice” in their activities.
Practical Tools for Emotional Regulation
Matt addresses the common challenge teachers face when asking students “How are you?” and receiving only blunt answers like “good” or “fine”.
Rainbow Tracking and Thumbs System
To help students and adults articulate their emotional state accurately, Matt developed Rainbow Tracking:
- Grading: Students grade themselves using a simple five-level thumb system: two thumbs up, one thumb up, thumbs in the middle, one thumb down, or two thumbs down.
- Colours: Colours are then used to indicate the type of negative emotion, particularly focusing on the two major ways people express distress:
- Red: Two thumbs down/Red suggests the student spikes or explodes (e.g. chair chucking, wall slamming). This is typically easy to spot.
- Purple: Two thumbs down/Purple suggests the student dips or implodes (e.g. hood up, non-communicative, masking feelings). This can be equally damaging but harder to spot.
- Vocabulary: Students are encouraged to find their own bespoke word (e.g. fuming) to articulate their feeling, which is then linked to behaviours, body sensations, and thoughts.
The Confidence to Ask ‘How are you?’
Matt advises teachers, including those who may feel unqualified as they are not therapists, that simply asking the question “How are you?” daily is the best well-being check-in tool.
- Timing: Check-ins can be collective at the start or end of a lesson, or targeted towards specific groups or courts.
- Trust and Disclosure: If a student makes a deeper disclosure, Matt asserts that this is a “compliment” because it shows they trust the teacher. Teachers must then follow safeguarding procedures, but the initial confidence to ask is paramount.
- Holding the Space: Teachers must be ready to hold the space for any reply, whether the feedback is positive or negative, remembering that everyone has mental health, which can be positive or negative.
Supporting Staff Well-being
Matt’s work extends to supporting teaching staff, recognising that they also face significant well-being challenges.
- Kettle Conversations: Matt and a former colleague worked on a staff project called “Lean on Me,” centred around the concept of “kettle conversations”. The PE office kettle often becomes an informal “counselling corner,” where staff naturally check in with each other after a challenging lesson.
- Emotional Interception: Staff should be emotionally intelligent enough to recognise when they are “dipping” (e.g. avoiding the staff room, not sharing what happened in class).
- Genuine Sessions: For school-wide well-being sessions to be successful, they must be driven by “genuine, authentic, and honest” needs, rather than being seen as a “free hit” to avoid difficult teaching.
- The Potato Analogy: Matt references another guest’s analogy where staff recognise conflict caused by external stress (the “potato”) rather than personal issues, allowing for productive professional challenge.
Corridors of Dysfunction
Matt notes that the schools successfully managing emotional needs have outstanding support areas, often called the “reset, the IR, the Snug, the Hive”. These are areas where students who are having a tough time end up.
- Specialist Staff: Staff working in these areas “need a Blue Peter badge” for their recognition, as they are essential in managing emotional flare-ups and reintegrating pupils into functioning school life.
- Preventative Measures: These systems, often using standardised language like the thumbs and colours, are preventative by taking the sting out of the moment before major outbursts occur.
Quickfire Questions and Professional Insight
Matt concludes the discussion by sharing his non-negotiables and advice:
| Category | Response Details |
| Non-Negotiables | Working hard at relationships with students, ensuring they are respectful and communicative. |
| Mantra | Be the spark or catalyst for students’ future interests (in any subject). |
| Removal from PE | Pens (removing the need to collect data or write notes in PE lessons). The word “have to” from the curriculum, replacing it with lots of choice and option. |
| Advice for New Teachers | Expect everything to be new and labour-intensive in the first half term. The only way to overcome this newness is by showing up every day, even the tough ones. |
| One Word for PE | Inspire. Make students want to run to the lesson. |
Conclusion
Matt’s advice reflects the sentiment that PE teachers need to be authentic and avoid “waffle” when communicating, reinforcing that positive relationships form the foundation upon which teaching and inspiration are built.
About the Guest
This episode is a conversation with Matt Hyde from Elephant Counselling.
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