PrinciPALS: How to support teacher well-being
Much is being said about mental wellness in school settings, especially since the pandemic, and it is not simply about our students. Teacher stress and burnout levels remain high. Retention rates are plummeting as job pressures continue to grow (Will, 2023). According to a recent study, teachers are twice as likely to report high difficulty coping with job-related stress and are 10% more likely to experience burnout (Doan et al., 2023).
Author Holly Kurtz (2023) reports on the annual teacher well-being survey from EdWeek Research Center and the connection between job morale and mental wellness. As many as 56% of teachers report a decrease in mental well-being over the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, the survey indicates that only 20% of teachers are very satisfied with their jobs, and the likelihood of leaving the profession correlates with job satisfaction.
According to Will (2023), teachers report that a supportive culture that includes increased non-instructional work time for educators will boost job satisfaction and sustainability. Without a supportive culture, burnout is imminent, and teachers are more likely to leave the profession. The Virginia Education Association provides key strategies school leaders can use to overcome burnout and develop a supportive culture. These strategies aid in both teacher wellness and student outcomes as well (Boitnott, 2021):
- Emphasize and grow mutual trust, respect, and open communication among teachers and school leaders.
- Involve teachers in improvement conversations, working with educators to improve practices and solve problems.
- Establish a schoolwide commitment to social and racial justice and affirm educators’ identities.
- Involve teachers in the design and implementation of learning opportunities.
- Establish trauma-informed strategies and mindfulness supports for teachers.
- Emphasize open communication and collect and respond to teachers’ professional concerns.
- Protect teachers’ time and prioritize teacher learning.
For leaders, thoroughly examining the teacher’s workload is one exercise needed to give teachers the gift of time. A workload audit can determine the teachers’ use of time spent on instruction, planning, meetings, communication, administration, and outside classroom duties; survey staff across all departments and positions. Understanding where the bulk of time is spent could indicate where more resources are needed and where initiatives are too taxing (Will, 2023). The VTSS Research and Implementation Center provides tools that guide divisions and schools in streamlining and organizing the workload and resources. These resources include Division Initiative Mapping, Resource Mapping, and the Work Smarter Not Harder tools (Virginia Tiered Systems of Support, n.d.).
References
Boitnott, K. (2021). Reigniting the flame. Virginia Education Association. https://www.veanea.org
Doan, S., Steiner, E., Pandey, R., & Woo, A., (2023). State of the american teacher survey. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA1108-8
Kurtz, H. (2023). Is teacher morale on the rise? Results of the second annual Merrimack College teacher survey. EdWeek Research Center. https://bit.ly/49Nr900
Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports. (n.d.). Virginia tiered systems of supports, Tools. Virginia Department of Education: Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports. https://vtss-ric.vcu.edu/ Will, M. (2023, July 18). Here’s what teachers say they need most to manage stress, Mental health. Education Week.https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/heres-what-teachers-say-they-need-most-to-manage-stress-mental-health/2023/07
For more information, contact Kristen O’Sullivan, (osullivankj@vcu.edu), Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Behavior, Inclusive Practices