Staff Well-Being
How do we look after staff well-being?
School leaders have a duty of care for staff as well as students. Their well-being should be a key priority, since we know that if students feel cared for, appreciated and valued they will be more able to give of their best to the students.
"An effective leader checks in and checks on the mental and emotional health of their staff and not just check off on their productivity." (Brad Johnson)
Right now, 44% of teachers in the USA leave the profession within their first five years of teaching. This statistic is mirrored in other countries. Reports inform us that teaches experience stress at work. Their levels of stress can rise dramatically in times of pandemic as teachers have to suddenly shift to distance learning and adapt their curricula to an online format that is accessible for all students. While stress is a necessary and important factor in human development, and positive stress ('eustress') helps us to rise to the top of our game, chronic stress can cause many forms of illness.
What is staff well-being?
“Staff well-being is more than the absence of stress, or even feeling content; it is about teachers flourishing more holistically. In contrast to the previous teacher’s statement, well-being could manifest in the following ways, ‘I feel balanced and supported; I have freedom to use my creativity to help my students succeed; I have opportunities to learn and advance in my career; I am fairly compensated; I have a network of support to help me overcome challenges.’” (To promote success in schools focus on teacher well-being, Amy Roberts & Helyn Kim, 2019, Brookings)
“Teacher wellbeing is not about donuts, 'wellbeing weeks' and planned wellbeing strategies. It is simply ensuring daily conditions are fear-free, purposeful, efficient, valuable and allow for mistakes, growth, recognition and opportunity. A few years ago I moved from a school where 11/12 of the SLT left within a year of myself (and teacher turnover was very high), to one with 100% staff retention (excluding retirements/marriages). Creating manageable working culture is entirely possible and I'm proud to lead and be led by people who believe in setting the right conditions for student and staff success. My tip is to lead any conversation or decision with a reflection on teacher/student wellbeing - it helps positively reshape the decision to gain the outcome needed. This poster isn't the entire answer at all, but its a starting point with a few good pointers in it.” (Gareth Rogers)
This visual is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs from the basic minimum survival to the self-actualisation needs adapted to the context of wellbeing at work. It is a useful visual to audit where you think you stand in your school and where there is room for improvement as it emphasises the importance of creating a culture that supports a holistic approach.
How we lead and manage affects the wellbeing of others. “Toxic management is like a slow poison; it might not be visible immediately, but over time, it erodes the very foundation of an organisation's culture, stifling growth, creativity, and ultimately, its success.” (Jakob Bovin)
Consider what makes for a toxic culture, and then reflect on the opposite positive characteristics of a leader and manager who invests in the wellbeing of all.
- Empowers others: Encourage autonomy and trust employees to take initiative, fostering innovation and job satisfaction through ownership of their work.
- Shares information transparently: Keep lines of communication open, sharing necessary information to ensure everyone is aligned and can contribute effectively to the team's goals.
- Values you for who you are: Recognize employees as individuals with unique contributions, promoting a culture that values personal well-being alongside professional achievements.
- Understands leadership as a form of service: Understand leadership as a behaviour focused on guiding and inspiring others, not just holding a position of authority.
- Treats everyone equally: Ensure all employees feel valued by offering equal opportunities for recognition and advancement based on merit, fostering a fair and inclusive work environment.
- Works on building a collaborative team: Foster a collaborative environment that encourages teamwork, strengthening trust and cooperation among team members.
- Being supportive: be available for guidance and feedback, supporting employees' growth and addressing issues promptly to enhance job satisfaction and team cohesion.
Read and reflect on this observation from an experienced teacher. To what extent might he articulate the views of staff in your school?
“When I first started teaching, I was really happy that the district and my school were going head over heels embracing social-emotional learning and prioritizing the mental and emotional well-being of students over a flat-out emphasis on instruction. Wrapping up my first year, however, a common sentiment among myself and my fellow teachers is that yes, SEL is incredibly important and a step in the right direction for the students in any school, but what about the teachers?
I don’t think it needs to be said that adults need self-care, rest, and mental and emotional well-being too, but the culture in education often doesn’t allow teachers to put their own well-being first. The culture of accountability for teachers tends to be very punitive across the nation — it usually isn’t implemented in a way that makes educators better at their jobs. Instead, it scares teachers into compliance and encourages teachers to put on a “dog and pony show” every time another adult walks into the classroom.
Very few people, however, check in on the emotional well-being of teachers. We were expected to put on a fresh face every day, keep our heads down, teach, do our jobs to the best of our capacity, and put in a lot of hours after work to get grading and planning done. No one ever cared about how we were doing emotionally — because we were paid professionals, it was implied that SEL was for students, not us.” (Ryan Fan,I Don’t Like Brené Brown Anymore: It’s not her fault, but rather a culture of education that doesn’t prioritize the mental health of teachers)
Why might staff feel stress from work?
Teaching can be one of the most stressful and unsupported jobs, leading to teacher shortages and high turnover. Staff may feel stress as a result of their work brought about by factors such as:
- Too many work demands. Reflect: what demands are being made of staff - consider how to make marking and meetings efficient uses of time.
- Lack of autonomy and control over things affecting your role. Reflect: do staff they have an input into their timetable, and can they control requests for data and when they need to respond to them?
- Lack of sufficient support when requested. Reflect: are the senior leadership team supportive in managing classroom behaviour, and do staff feel able to ask their colleagues if they need help?
- Poor relationships (e.g. people not sharing ideas). Reflect: what structures exist for teachers to collaborate, share ideas and support each other?
- Lack of role definition and opportunities to discuss concerns. Reflect: are expectations made clear to them, and do they have opportunities to discuss concerns or uncertainties?
- Pace of change. Reflect: how many changes and interventions are you introducing? Which change management process do you use? How do you involve all staff in the process?
What is the impact of work-related stress?
The impact of work-related stress can be significant, and can affect everyone in your school community. Consider the following warning signs:
- Poor decision making due to a lack of reflection.
- Rushed and poorly executed work due to a lack of time or shortage of staff.
- High staff turnover.
- High rates of sickness absence due to stress-related illness.
- More conflict within the staff team as people become tired and irritable.
- Avoidance of tasks for fear of being in the wrong.
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How can a school support staff?
Supporting staff well-being includes:
- Leadership supports staff. Do you have policies and procedures in place to reduce the risk of work-related stress? Do you manage expectations around sending and responding to emails? Do you manage expectations around marking assignments - does your school assessment policy support these expectations? Do you support flexible working? Do you promote work-life balance for all staff? How do you establish work-home boundaries for all? Do you model it yourself? Do you resource staff mental health support?
Peer support is provided and collaboration is encouraged and enabled. How do faculty staff meetings / team meetings nurture a culture of support and collaboration? Do your essential agreements around meetings provide opportunities for staff well-being check-ins? Are meetings devoted to professional growth and learning or a long list of informational agenda items? How do you recognize and reward the work of each teacher? Do you have a staff mentor programme - note that it is unfortunate that many late career teachers are only asked to evaluate new teachers rather than mentor them, which results in additional stress rather than support?- Senior leadership team is supported by governors. Does anyone on the governing body have mental health training?
- Culture of positive staff well-being. Do you have a staff wellness programme or an social and emotional learning programme for staff? Regardless of what is going on in school, anyone can struggle with their mental health at times, and school leaders have a duty to support colleagues during these periods. Do you carry out regular staff well-being audits? Do you offer confidential support services? How do you support staff when they are vulnerable (e.g. when members of their family fall ill)?
Staff are encouraged to be reflective in their approach to others. What processes do you have in place to ensure that staff are supported when facing complaints by students or parents?- The school is non-judgemental towards all. How does your staff evaluation / performance management system make staff feel - do they find it supportive of their professional development or judgemental? School leaders should act to alleviate feelings of fear and anxiety. Howard (2020, Stop talking about wellbeing), explains that in order to care for staff. "we must erradicate accountability as a method of management, and build the architecture essential to voice and autonomy that results in professional trust." This means that quality assurance methods are supportive and developmental.
- Promote a culture of gratitude: Does your school culture promote gratitude? There is a body of work from psychology showing the link between gratitude and wellbeing - saying thank you doesn't cost the school anything but can have great impact.
Taylor, L., Zhou, W., Boyle, L., Funk, S., & De Neve, J-E. (2024). Wellbeing for Schoolteachers (Report No. 2). International Baccalaureate Organization. This literature review provides an overview of the latest research into teacher well-being and its importance for teachers themselves, students, and the school community. The report:
- suggests a working definition of teacher well-being
- provides a teacher well-being framework which identifies drivers of teacher well-being e.g. work-life balance, workplace recognition, school climate, job security, quality of relationships).
Findings from the study highlight that teachers report one of the highest levels of occupational stress and burnout on the job, compared with other professions. Workload is one of the most prominent factors leading teachers to leave the profession. Importantly, an increasing body of research indicates that teacher well-being has a significant impact on the well-being and academic success of students. The research highlights the importance of investing in teacher well-being not only for the sake of teachers themselves but also for the benefit of students and the school system.
Click HERE for Research Summary
Click HERE for the Full Report
Do you have a staff wellbeing charter?
In the UK schools are being urged to adopt the new Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which includes 11 commitments to supporting the wellbeing of their staff.
Click HERE to read about the commitments – they may prove a useful reflection for your school.
Here is another example from a school in Mozambique:
I read this in a Linkedin post by Isabelle Wies Griffith:
Consciously or unconsciously, we all impact those around us.
Whether by choice or by default, we are all leaders in a way.
As Maya Angelou once famously said:
"People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did,
but they will never forget how you make them feel."
Consider this declaration at the entrance of a building inviting everyone who enters to take self-responsibility.
The rise of teacher stress, 13 April 2020: Excellent article summarizes research and providing many embedded links to articles.
Teacher stress and health: Effects of teachers, students and schools, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2016: A helpful booklet.
To promote success in schools focus on teacher well-being, Amy Roberts & Helyn Kim, 2019, Brookings: a good blog with embedded links. Contains reference to an ecological framework of teacher well-being, looking at all the factors that should be taken into account.
Understanding the factors that contribute to educator flourishing, Brittany Michael, Singh Rehal, and Christian van Nieuwerburgh: This study explores the conditions needed for educators to flourish. This resulted in the Ecological Model for Flourishing Educators which included these elements: authenticity, integrity, agency, autonomy, professional and personal growth, positive relationships, receiving recognition and acknowledgment, being treated as a professional and feeling seen, valued and trusted. Based on the research, the researchers posit a new definition of flourishing educators: A flourishing educator is an educator who feels seen, trusted and valued. They are treated as a professional and encouraged to be authentic. They have autonomy, integrity, agency, and experience positive relationships along with personal and professional growth.
