Tea and Conversation with the Elephant in the Room.

We start the TeachWell series by reading this powerful article together, “The Elephant in the (Staff) Room, Why We Need to Talk about Teacher Wellbeing.” After discussing the insights and suggestions offered in the article, there is a universal relief among the group to have their stressful situation merely recognized. There is power in being seen and understood.

While some schools offer a sense of community and support, too many others  are trauma-impacted and saturated with high levels of toxic stress. In those environments, we often see teachers isolated in their classrooms and navigating the day-to-day challenges alone. For some educators, reading this article is one of the first times their personal experience is validated and the importance of their well-being is recognized. It  offers some basic first steps toward addressing educator wellness. We can simply start by recognizing the importance of educator well-being. We can be intentional and take the time to recognize the commitment of our educators and show compassion for the demands of their profession.

One of the goals of TeachWell is based on a simple premise – we must bring educators together, so that they can share their common experiences, and feel the support of their colleagues. We draw educators out of the isolation of their classrooms to create a positive sense of community. In turn, this deepens the social and emotional wellness of educators. Teachers are everyday heroes. They are nurturing our youth and shaping the lives of our future generations. They deserve respect and recognition much beyond what they may be receiving. And, as this article points out, research proves, “that when teachers perceive a school to foster high levels of compassion, stress levels reduce and job satisfaction goes up, while teachers' commitment to school life can also increase.”

TeachWell offers a sense of community that expands beyond our 8-week participant series. We will post bi-weekly blogs with reflections on educator wellness. We offer on-going techniques and tips toward wellness. And, we invite educators to connect with each other to offer support and encouragement for each other toward wellness. We’d love to hear about any wellness strategies that have worked for you or your colleagues. Please share your suggestions in the comments below!  

In the meantime, we invite you to reach out to a colleague, check-in to see how they’re doing, recognize their effort and hard work, and perhaps, bring them a mug of hot tea!