During this session, Sonia Williams Fox took a deep dive into the importance of teacher wellbeing. Addressing it is more important than ever because teachers are facing numerous challenges at their workplace. After all, teaching is such a demanding profession.
Teachers deal with many emotions each day, and being self-aware can help them understand and manage these feelings. As Juan Casassus [in Spanish] states, the teaching profession is emotional. It is based on the generation of emotions. Before entering the classroom, it is useful for teachers to recognise how they are feeling and reflect on their emotions as they have a direct impact on their behaviour, colleagues, and students, as Marc Brackett says. Being aware of emotions helps teachers handle the many challenges of their role and brings satisfaction to their work.
Experts like Rafael Bisquerra [in Spanish] and Paul Ekman have studied emotions in depth, offering ideas that help us understand that emotions are varied and that everyone experiences them differently. A teacher’s emotional state is influenced not just by events but the meaning each person gives to these events.
Key areas of teacher wellbeing include creating a positive learning environment, focusing on physical and emotional health, and building a sense of belonging in the school community. Teachers benefit when schools make an effort to support work-life balance and provide enough planning time, which can reduce work done at home, and aim to make teachers feel valued and create a sense of belonging. This approach helps teachers stay motivated and want to stay at school. It also improves the whole school environment, which benefits students as well.
Practical strategies for supporting teacher wellbeing
Individual support initiatives
- Professional development: Includes training on self-regulation, social-emotional (SE) skills, and resilience.
- Mindfulness and stress management: Offer sessions on mindfulness techniques, breathing exercises, and relaxation practices.
- Physical health programmes: Support physical wellbeing through fitness programmes, nutrition support, and health-related workshops.
- One-on-one meetings: Set up regular check-ins for teachers with leadership or mentors to discuss wellbeing and growth.
- Counselling and emotional support: Make mental health resources available for teachers to access as needed.
School-Wide initiatives
- Reflective school culture: Encourage alignment of school values and mission with teacher wellbeing goals, allowing time for reflection and adaptation.
- Dedicated planning time: Allocate sufficient planning time to reduce work taken home.
- Recognition and celebration: Celebrate teachers’ achievements through assemblies, bulletin boards, and special acknowledgements.
- Building a community: Create bonding opportunities, such as shared breakfasts, mentorship for new teachers, and collaborative school projects.
- Community events: Organise events like family days, science fairs, and art exhibitions to strengthen connections among teachers and the wider school community.
Social-Emotional Skill Building
- Programmes that enhance social-emotional skills, such as empathy, stress management, and conflict resolution, can help teachers handle their roles more easily. Programmes such as CASEL, Six Seconds, or Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI) are examples.
Key takeaways:
- Emotional awareness matters: How teachers feel each day impacts their actions and interactions. Self-awareness helps teachers manage these emotions better.
- Overcoming teacher stress: Teachers experience many emotions each day. Schools should listen to teachers and support them through these feelings.
- School environment is important: Schools should try to create a positive and supportive environment for teachers, including focusing on physical and emotional wellbeing, work-life balance and building community.
If you’re interested in enhancing teacher wellbeing or would like to start measuring staff wellbeing at your school, explore our Best School to Work programme. We provide resources and practical guidance to help build a positive school environment that supports both teachers and students. Visit Best School to Work for more information, or book a demo today to see how we can support your school’s goals.
