Creative approaches to nurturing resilience of trainee teachers

Introduction During 2019, the Department for Education (DfE) published a number of policy documents: ‘Teacher recruitment and retention strategy’, ‘Early career framework’ and ‘ITT core content framework’. Rigorous attention on early career development is welcome (Allen and Sims, 2018), particularly with continued high levels of stress leading to issues of retention in the profession (Teacher Wellbeing Index (Education Support, 2019)). This research-informed article focuses on how the resilience of trainee teachers is challenged and eroded, but also sustained and nurtured. Chandler (2014, p. 46) describes resilience as ‘an increasingly ubiquitous concept’ and Neenan (2009, p. 3) refers to resilience as an ‘intriguing yet elusive concept’. Through my own research inquiry, I have come to view trainee teacher resilience as a continuum, with grit and determination at one end and openness and vulnerability at the other. Both aspects are important in the professional