Announcing: Be Well, Teach Well. A Guidebook to Support Adult SEL and Educator Well-being.

Wellness is not a point at which one arrives or a prescription to be filled. Wellness is a journey specific to you, your community, and the context within which you work. This is transformational work that requires a new lens on an old institution. This work, when done well and effectively, will take time, will integrate into school climate and culture, and will require a continuous loop of implementation, feedback, adjustment, innovation, and implementation to begin the cycle again. A thriving education environment is not a perfect one. It is one that can hold the human experience with integrity. It provides space for struggle and success. It is a place where each individual feels a sense of unique belonging. It is a place where curiosity and learning are far more valuable than being right. It is a culture of compassion that moves each of us to create a better human experience for all members of our school community. From Be Well, TeachWell: A Guidebook to Support Adult SEL and Educator Well-being.

While developing my vision for TeachWell in 2017, I had several meetings with Dr. Scott Morrow of San Mateo County Health. Dr. Morrow became one of my mentors through his advocacy for and support of two of my projects in San Mateo County, particularly the Youth Development Initiative and our work to promote Restorative Justice Practices in schools across the county. His values of evidence-based and human-centered practices instilled a deep regard for a relational approach to work that did not compromise evidence, research, and professional rigor. He asked me, “What do you want from this endeavor?”

I felt very clear - I wanted to elevate the conversation about the need for educator well-being and mental health. I wanted to be a part of a movement that understood the relational aspects of education are essential for the tactical academic success of our students and the retention of our heroic educators to sustain our educational institutions. I wanted to work directly with teachers to offer them support, ease their struggle, remind them of their passion, help them remember their resilience, and feel seen and valued. 

The launch of this guidebook is a milestone. We appreciate that our partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education and San Mateo County Health has been one with professional integrity and deep regard for educators. This guidebook is grounded in research and guided by the direct experience of educators who serve some of San Mateo’s highest-need communities. 

The launch of this guidebook is a starting place. We hope that this guidebook will inspire school leaders to more deeply consider the well-being of their educators. We want this guidebook to guide school leaders to identify strategies, policies, and practices that consider educator social-emotional literacy and well-being as integral to existing initiatives and priorities. 

This guidebook is an act of advocacy and care for educators everywhere. It is an expression of TeachWell’s commitment to this work and to the ongoing effort to learn with educators about what serves them best. We welcome feedback, deeper inquiry, and dialogue to keep this conversation moving forward. We have learned a lot. We have a lot to learn. 

Join us on January 16th, 8:30 am at the San Mateo County Office of Education, 101 Twin Dolphin Dr, Redwood City, CA 94065 to learn more about this project and hear the recommendations set out in this guidebook. Email anne@teachwell.net for more information.