If you're a wellbeing coordinator, principal or deputy principal looking for the right way to support your staff this year, this is it: a highly entertaining and genuinely informative talk from an experienced teacher and professional speaker.
From Chaos to Calm
A Teacher's Guide to Positive Mental Health
Many staffrooms are running on empty. Enda O'Doherty spent 33 years inside Irish classrooms before he became the speaker school leaders call when they want the day to actually mean something for the people doing the teaching.
Teachers aren't imagining it. The data confirms it.
This isn't a soft add-on to the CPD calendar. Burnout among Irish teachers is now measured, published, and rising, and it's costing schools their best people.
of Irish teachers report moderate to high work-related burnout.
DCU CREATE study, 2025rate their own mental health as poor or very poor over the past year.
DCU CREATE study, 2025have seriously considered leaving the teaching profession altogether.
UCD / CHI post-COVID teacher studysay the intensity of their workload has increased in recent years.
ASTI / RED C teacher surveyThe pressures on Irish teachers aren't going away. Neither should the support.
Every school leader already knows this list.
Practical, not preachy.
Enda doesn't arrive with a generic wellness script. He spent thirty-three years teaching in a city centre school, with all the challenges that brings, marking the same copybooks, covering the same yard duty, and sitting through the same staff meetings as the people in the room.
The talk is built around what actually changes a teacher's Monday morning: concrete boundary-setting, realistic energy management, and permission to value their own wellbeing without guilt. Delivered with the same humour and warmth that makes "The Best Your Child Can Be" one of the most requested parent talks in the country.
Five Reasons Your Staff Will Thank You For "Chaos to Calm."
It's led by an insider
Thirty-three years teaching in Irish schools means no lecture, no jargon, just someone who has lived every item on the staffroom agenda.
It's entertaining, not heavy
TEDx-level storytelling and genuine humour keep the room engaged, even on a topic staff usually brace themselves for.
It gives practical tools
Not abstract mindfulness theory, but specific, usable strategies for protecting energy, time and mental health inside a real teaching week.
It outlasts the day itself
A second digital presentation and a free book mean the impact doesn't end when the staff meeting does.
It sets the tone for the year
Booked as the opening session of the school year, it signals to staff that their wellbeing is a genuine priority from day one.
What every teacher actually takes away.
The live keynote is the centrepiece, but it's deliberately built as one part of a package, so the message keeps working long after the staff day ends.
Live Keynote
An in-person or webinar talk, in Enda's engaging, funny, and informative style, for the whole staff on your in-service day.
A Second Digital Presentation
Beyond the live day, staff also receive a separate digital presentation, so the ideas can be revisited any time.
Free Copy of The Thriving Mind
Every attending teacher receives a free digital copy of Enda's book, written for teachers, by someone who spent a career in education, to take home and keep.
Positive, Practical, Real
Focused firmly on the people in the room, a strong, welcoming way to open a CPD day together.
“The Thriving Mind”, free, digital, and written for people who teach.
Enda wrote The Thriving Mind for teachers, by someone who spent his whole working life in education, not looking in from the outside. It's entertaining, thought-provoking, and built around a simple idea: how you protect and value your own mental health changes everything else. Every teacher at the talk receives a free digital copy to keep.
Enda O'Doherty
Feedback from staff in-service days.
“Enda's 'Chaos to Calm' talk revolutionized the way I approach my teaching career. His humor and practical tips gave me the tools to create a more balanced and fulfilling work-life in the education field.”
“Attending 'Chaos to Calm' was a game-changer for our staff. Enda's dynamic presentation style and actionable strategies left our teachers feeling motivated, rejuvenated, and equipped.”
“We invited Enda to speak at our in-service day, and it was the best decision we made. His talk was engaging, humorous, and informative.”
Give your staff the version of this day they'll actually remember.
Send your preferred date, your school's location, and whether you're thinking in person or webinar. Enda replies personally, usually within a day, with availability and a straightforward quote.
Please contact:
086 677 2154, or email info@endaodoherty.ie.
Frequently Asked Questions.
What does the "Chaos to Calm" talk cover?
Practical strategies for protecting teacher mental health and wellbeing: realistic boundary-setting, managing workload and energy across a school year, recognising the early signs of burnout, and building a more sustainable relationship with a demanding job, drawn from Enda O'Doherty's thirty-three years in Irish education.
How is this different from a generic staff wellness session?
Most wellness days are led by facilitators who've never stood in front of a Leaving Cert class on a wet Tuesday in November. Enda has. The strategies are built for the realities of an Irish school year, not adapted from a corporate wellbeing template.
What do teachers receive as part of the booking?
The live keynote on the day, a second digital presentation staff can revisit afterwards, and a free digital copy of Enda's book The Thriving Mind for every attending teacher.
Is this suitable as a first staff day of the year?
Yes. It's regularly booked as the opening session of the school year. It's positive and energising rather than heavy, and it sets a tone that staff wellbeing is taken seriously from day one.
How long is the talk and what format does it take?
Typically ninety minutes, in person or by webinar, including questions at the end. Timing can be adjusted to fit your in-service day schedule.
What does it cost to book?
Available from €950. The main factor is location, schools within driving distance keep the cost down, while further afield involves more travel time and expense. In-person and webinar are priced the same, and there's no extra charge based on staff numbers. Call for a straightforward quote; most schools find it easiest to just talk it through.
How do we book "Chaos to Calm" for our school?
Call 086 677 2154 for a direct conversation about your date and staff numbers, or use the form on this page. Enda answers personally and is happy to talk it through before you commit to a date.