In today’s educational landscape, school leaders are responsible not only for overseeing academic success but also for ensuring a sustainable and supportive work environment for their teachers. The challenges of balancing organisational demands with teacher wellbeing have intensified, and effective leadership is critical in addressing these challenges head-on.
Through our Best School to Work (BSTW) programme, we’ve identified key trends in workload management, such as the need for flexible work arrangements, streamlining administrative burdens, leveraging technology, and effective communication with parents. Understanding these challenges allows school leaders to make strategic changes that improve teacher wellbeing, reduce burnout, and foster a thriving school culture.
The leadership challenge: Overwork and the pressure to “do it all”
In many schools, the expectation of overwork has become normalised. Teachers are expected to go “above and beyond,” often at the expense of their personal lives. As a leader, it’s vital to challenge this narrative and set a new standard—one that values balance and supports teachers in managing their responsibilities sustainably. Overwork should never become the norm.
For many, teaching isn’t just a job; it feels like a calling—a role driven by a strong sense of purpose and the desire to make a difference in students’ lives. This deep commitment often leads teachers to see long hours and hard work as just part of their dedication to something beyond the everyday.
However, while this mindset is inspiring, it can also be risky. When teaching is seen as a selfless mission, it’s harder for teachers to set boundaries, often causing them to take on too much and sacrifice their own wellbeing. As leaders, we need to respect this passion but also make sure that teachers have a balanced workload that supports their long-term health and effectiveness.
Gathering direct insights from teachers allows school leaders to identify specific pain points—whether it’s administrative overload, unrealistic time expectations, or inadequate staffing—and develop actionable strategies to address these issues.
Staffing shortages and digital overload: Leadership’s role
With 70% of teachers in the US reporting that their schools are understaffed, leadership teams must look closely at resource allocation and staffing solutions. Additionally, the digital age has introduced tools meant to simplify work, but they can also blur the lines between work and personal life, contributing to digital overload. As a leader, it’s important to create clear policies around digital communication, helping teachers maintain boundaries and avoid burnout.
One way to start is by auditing and reallocating resources. School leaders could conduct a school-wide audit to assess where staff shortages are most pressing, and consider creative staffing solutions, such as shared roles, rotating administrative support, or part-time options. Use digital tools strategically to reduce workload, ensuring they are optimising productivity without contributing to stress.
Communication with parents: A hidden workload
One often overlooked source of teacher stress is communication with parents. Teachers can feel overwhelmed by the volume of emails, meetings, and requests from parents, particularly outside school hours. As leaders, setting clear communication protocols can protect teachers’ time while maintaining strong relationships with families. It’s important to provide teachers with tools and strategies to manage these communications effectively, without detracting from their core teaching responsibilities.
To address this, consider establishing parent communication guidelines. Implement designated times for parent-teacher communication, such as office hours or weekly update emails. Encourage the use of templates for common inquiries to save time, and consider setting up a digital platform where parents can find frequently asked questions or receive updates on student progress.
Grading and planning: The unseen hours
Teaching is often described as the only job where you need to work before going to work, just so you have work prepared for when you’re there. Planning lessons, creating materials, and assessing student work are essential tasks, but they often take place outside of regular school hours. For many teachers, evenings and weekends are consumed by grading stacks of papers and designing engaging lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners. This hidden workload isn’t always visible to those outside the profession, but it is a significant contributor to teacher stress and burnout.
As school leaders, it’s crucial to acknowledge the time teachers spend outside of the classroom preparing to be effective during the day. Providing structured time within the school schedule for grading and planning can help alleviate this burden. Encouraging collaboration among teachers for shared resources and lesson plans, and offering professional development focused on efficient grading strategies, can also support staff in managing these tasks more sustainably.
Strategic solutions for reducing teacher workload
So, how can leadership teams manage workloads more sustainably and empower their teachers to thrive? Here are practical strategies that can be implemented across the school:
- Streamlining administrative tasks: Administrative tasks such as grading, reports, and paperwork can quickly overwhelm teachers. Leaders should look for opportunities to streamline these processes by implementing more efficient feedback models or using software that automates routine tasks. Encouraging teachers to give more in-class feedback and utilise digital grading tools can help cut down on the amount of work that spills into after-hours. Additionally, workshops on time-saving lesson planning and grading techniques can further support teachers in effectively managing their workloads.
- Flexible working arrangements: There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to teacher wellbeing. Flexibility in working arrangements—whether hybrid options, part-time roles, or job-sharing—can make a significant difference in retaining teachers and preventing burnout. Leadership teams can benefit from surveying staff to understand their needs for flexibility and exploring creative solutions, like staggered workdays or additional planning time built into the school day.
- Using technology thoughtfully: Technology has the potential to reduce teacher workload by automating administrative tasks, but it must be used strategically. Leaders should assess whether the technology in place is actually serving teachers or adding to their stress. When collecting data or asking staff to complete administrative tasks, ensure that all information gathered is utilised effectively—don’t add unnecessary layers to their workload if the data won’t be used meaningfully. Providing targeted training on how to make the most of digital tools, such as automating grading, streamlining communication with parents, and simplifying lesson planning, can ensure that technology serves as a time-saver rather than a source of extra stress.
- Collaborative planning: Promoting collaboration among teachers is a powerful way to ease individual workloads and create a more cohesive school environment. By planning together, teachers can share resources and benefit from each other’s expertise, saving time and reducing stress. Leaders can encourage collaborative planning by setting aside dedicated time during the school week for teachers to work together. Creating shared digital resource banks for lesson plans and assessments can also streamline the preparation process. Additionally, pairing new teachers with experienced mentors can help spread the workload more evenly and provide valuable support, fostering a strong culture of teamwork and professional growth.
Building a supportive and sustainable school culture
Effective leadership is key to creating a school culture where both teachers and students thrive. By addressing workload challenges, schools can build a more sustainable environment that supports teacher retention and enhances student outcomes. Streamlining tasks, offering flexible work options, improving communication with parents, and leveraging technology are all critical components of creating a supportive culture.
Tips for supporting teachers through workload management
However, creating a supportive culture is not just about implementing systems and strategies—it also requires a mindset shift. As a school leader, encouraging a balanced approach to workload management requires more than just implementing strategies—it requires cultivating a mindset that values well-being, and sustainable work practices. Here are a few additional tips for supporting teachers through workload management:
- Value wellbeing as a core belief: Wellbeing shouldn’t be seen as just another initiative or a box to tick; it needs to be woven into the very fabric of the school’s ethos. When leadership truly believes that teacher wellbeing is as crucial as student achievement, it becomes easier to make balanced decisions that support the whole community. Remember, a school’s success is rooted in the health and happiness of its staff.
- Shift the focus from busyness to impact: As leaders, it’s easy to fall into the trap of equating busyness with productivity. However, constant activity doesn’t always translate into meaningful results. Encourage a culture where the focus is on the quality of work rather than the quantity. Teachers should feel empowered to prioritise tasks that truly impact student learning, rather than being caught in a cycle of endless administrative duties.
- Acknowledge the emotional weight of teaching: Teaching is not just about academic delivery; it carries a significant emotional and psychological load. Recognising and acknowledging this emotional labour is crucial for leaders. Teachers face emotional challenges every day, from dealing with student needs to managing complex relationships with parents. As a leader, offering empathy and understanding for these emotional burdens helps create a more supportive, compassionate work environment.
- Model healthy boundaries and work-life balance: Leaders set the tone for work culture. If you are constantly available, replying to emails late at night or working over weekends, your teachers will feel compelled to do the same. Instead, model healthy work-life boundaries yourself. Communicate openly about the importance of balance and demonstrate how to manage workload in a sustainable way. Your actions will show staff that their wellbeing is as important as the work itself.
Are you ready to lead your school to success?
The Best School to Work programme offers school leaders the tools and data-driven insights to implement lasting change that reduces teacher burnout and improves wellbeing. Schools that embrace these strategies are well-positioned to create a thriving, high-performing school culture.
Our team is here to support you in developing an effective workload management strategy for your school. Register your interest today and discover how the Best School to Work programme can help transform your leadership approach and school environment. To learn more about how we can support your school, visit Best School to Work or book a demo today.
