Under Pressure And T-CUP

There are times as a teacher and school leader when you are placed under considerable pressure and you have to make the right decisions at key moments.

In some situations you have got to hold your nerve and keep your composure, control your emotions and keep your mind from dissolving. You got to do this without flinching so that others don’t notice.

If you don’t then you could lose it and lose the respect of those around you too.

But that’s not easy and unless you have spent time in the military then it’s unlikely that your teacher training is going to be much use. We aren’t born with the ability to handle pressure, we have to learn what to do.

There is a training method called T-CUP which stands for Total Control Under Pressure.

When we lose our control then we lose our discipline and our ability to complete the job. In the heat of the moment and when the stakes are high we have to think clearly, focus and concentrate.

T-CUP is therefore also known as Think Clearly Under Pressure or Think Calmly Under Pressure.

As there is no one-size-fits-all solution there are various ways you can achieve T-CUP. For example, this could include breathing techniques, visualisations, positive thinking and mindfulness.

In the book ‘How to Perform Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most‘ by Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry, what also helps is having a COTE of armour: Confidence, Optimism, Tenacity and Enthusiasm.

Let’s leave the last word to someone who knows all about life-or-death, high-pressure situations.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when the pressure ramps up so as ex-SAS soldier Ollie Ollerton says,

So, when you feel the pressure increasing, it’s important to triage the situation and only focus on one or two things that immediately matter in resolving the situation.