Make Teacher's Health and Wellness a Priority
“Beautiful Days Begin With Beautiful Mindsets”
Make Your School Awesome Staff
October 5, 2022
Each year teachers face a tremendous amount of stress, particularly at the beginning of a new school year. Despite teachers being known for their ability to adapt, think on their feet, and handle challenges, nothing quite prepared anyone for the educational environment post-COVID. Anxiety and stress levels for teachers have been reported to be at an all-time high. For the past two years, much of the focus in schools has been on developing supports and services for students and their families during the COVID pandemic. Very little has been done to focus on the mental health and wellness of teachers and support staff. As a result, teachers are facing higher levels of anxiety than in years past, and are battling fatigue and burnout. Educators are leaving the profession at an alarming rate.
Teacher and staff wellness is an essential piece of the puzzle towards schools attaining levels of high achievement. The mental health and wellness of staff should be at the forefront of every administrator's agenda when planning upcoming professional development opportunities. It is important to take a pulse of your staff, find out what is weighing heavy on their minds, and work collaboratively to develop ways to lessen the burden. After all, if teachers are stressed and plagued with anxiety, this will have a negative effect on their students. Remember that energy in a classroom (both positive and negative) is contagious!
Below are some helpful tips for administrators.
1. Evaluate Your Staff at the Beginning of Each Year
Every year there is something new. Sometimes these changes come from internal movements within the district focused on curriculum or building initiatives. Sometimes there are unfortunate unforeseeable events within the community that can have a negative impact on the emotional well-being of students and staff. No matter what the causation of stress is, it is important as a successful building administrator that you understand the climate within your school building. Each year you should provide an anonymous climate survey to better gauge your staff’s individual needs. The survey should provide you as the building administrator with important information to facilitate professional development or services for your teachers to ensure that they are working with a positive mindset, avoiding fatigue and burnout.
2. Get Your Teachers Up and Moving
Mental health is often connected to movement. It is important to educate teachers on taking breaks and providing movement breaks for themselves throughout the day. Encouraging lunchtime walk groups, or placing mats where teachers can regularly practice yoga within the building would be beneficial for their overall health and wellbeing. If you are a lead administrator research having a local fitness instructor or Zumba instructor to push into one of your mandatory after-school meetings. This would be a fun way to get teachers up on their feet. Also, look inside your own building to see if there are any certified instructors on staff who would be willing to offer their services at least once a week to their peers.
3. Help Your Staff to Set Boundaries
It is a great reminder to express the importance of setting boundaries within their professional and personal lives. Cell phones and laptops have made teachers more vulnerable to anxiety and stress by constantly being connected to work. It is important to teach staff that limiting their cell phone and email use between reasonable working hours is appropriate. Being home after hours should be focused on themselves, time for relaxation, self-care, and of course their family. Continuously checking emails after hours can create unwanted anxiety. Encourage staff to set limitations and develop a healthy schedule.
4. Break Time is Important
Encourage staff to take mini breaks that promote a reduced stress work environment.
Purchase meditation apps such as Headspace, and/or provide them with a relaxing book selection. Encourage teachers to participate in rejuvenating practices such as playing relaxing music or tranquil outdoor sounds. Encourage podcasts that discuss the importance of workplace mental health that also incorporates healthy coping strategies. Create a quiet area within your teachers' lounge for staff to use such resources. You may need to purchase headphones and dedicate one to two laptops for their universal use.
5. Build Communities and Join Forces
Develop relationships and reach out to other building administrators or surrounding schools to see what resources they have found within the community to support their teachers. Look into finding local presenters and mental health experts to provide tailored professional development within your building to benefit all staff.
Important Takeaways
As an effective administrator, you must have a handle on the overall climate and culture within your building. Building strong relationships with your staff is essential. By building strong relationships, you will develop a deeper and more authentic understanding of their needs. Utilize PD days and staff meetings to provide mental health and teacher wellness materials and resources. Staff mental health and wellness support is evolving; continue to articulate with fellow administrators to find local resources. Carve out time and invest in resources that will support your teachers. A healthy, happy, and valued teacher is a productive teacher.
TEACH, SHARE, INSPIRE
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