I’ve always felt that we Brits rather misinterpret the concept of humility. Our cousins across the pond seem so much better at enthusing about success; expressing joy at achievement – whether their own or not – with great zeal and ease. On the Atlantic’s north eastern shores, we often seem too shy to be willing to celebrate the simple pleasure of witnessing something being done well; or, of even greater gratification, doing something well ourselves.

There seems to me something very misguided about an ethos that somehow deems passion, glee, delight or enthusiasm to be bad or wrong and forces us to cling to false modesty for dear life. Since my childhood I’ve come across those who judge ‘showing off’ to be vulgar, but I believe it is an enthusiasm for success that drives us all on to thrive and celebrate who we are both individually and collectively.

Anyway, that’s probably enough justification for the unapologetic boast that now follows:

Teacher Support Network has won an award!

Earlier in September, some of the team and I had the pleasure of attending the Charity Times annual awards ceremony. We’d been nominated for the ‘Best Use of Web’ prize, and were very flattered to be amongst some pretty esteemed company in the category. Enjoying the posh nosh and fine wines laid on by the magazine and chatting away with representatives from other charities, it was a delightful pleasure to hear our charity’s name succeed the words ‘And the winner is…’ and I was proud to take the stage and accept the award: a weighty, glass shard, strikingly engraved with our name, on behalf of the all of our team.

It was truly wonderful to share the excitement with several colleagues and our chairman as well as with the amazing and very funny Terry Waite, patron of Storybook Dads, as well as their inspiring founder and Chief Executive, Sharon Berry, and Steve Kirk, Chief Executive of the Year Nominee from St Luke’s Hospital.

Presenting the award, Julie Howell, Director of PR at Fortune Cookie, commended the site’s interactive nature, content and production values as well as the fact it was produced on a modest budget.

If you haven’t visited our site, I really hope you do so soon. As the award recognises, there are a multitude of ways in which it can help you as a teacher. Whether contacting a coach through our Online Support services, accessing information through our InfoCentres, taking part in our Stress Test or Wheel of Wellbeing or reading about developments in the press and in policy, the website will be able to help you improve your wellbeing and focus on teaching.

It was great for us to receive the Charity Times award. We were particularly pleased that, as a small charity, we triumphed over larger, better known and well resourced competitors. Here in the office, we are sometimes so focused on the next project to take stock of our achievements and give each other the recognition that is deserved.

From being in contact with thousands of teachers every year, we also know that this is even more the case in schools. With much of the media (SecEd being one of the few noble exceptions) so often focused on a negative perception of schools, pupils and teachers, it’s all too easy for us to forget about the wonderful achievements that take place every day in schools across the country.

In order to improve your wellbeing, why not take some time out this week to think about all the accomplishments that you have made during your career: the lives you have improved, the knowledge you have imparted and the aspirations that you have helped your pupils – both current and former – achieve?

The award we received this month reflects our own online achievements, but the true pleasure that it gives us results from the fact that we have been publicly recognised as effectively serving the wonderful profession of teaching. In the spirit of celebrating success, make sure you let the accomplishments of teachers together and yourself individually permeate your thoughts this term.