PROMOTING 'TEACHER WELLBEING' AS A KEY TO NURTURING 'STUDENT WELLBEING' - what does the research say?

There’s SO much talk about the wellbeing of children and I wanted to emphasise something which I see as a massive missed opportunity. This snapshot review of the literature tries to show the pivotal role teachers play in fostering child wellbeing and identifies effective strategies and interventions that support the holistic wellbeing of both teachers and students. It’s a big subject, this is a snapshot, but hey, who is going to be against increased teacher wellbeing - raise your hand I dare you!

Teacher Wellbeing Impacts Student Wellbeing:

Recent research underscores the profound correlation between teacher wellbeing and student wellbeing. As noted by Smith et al. (2019), "Teachers who experience lower levels of stress and burnout can create a more conducive learning environment, fostering students' emotional and academic development" .

My Comment: Obvious? Maybe. But where’s the school policy for maximising teacher wellbeing then? and....why not? no, seriously, why?

Professional Development and Support:

Professional development programs geared towards enhancing teacher wellbeing have yielded results. According to Johnson and Walker (2018), "Empowering teachers with strategies for managing stress and building resilience through professional development positively influences their job satisfaction and, subsequently, their students' learning experience"

My Comment: the schools that have established wellbeing packages for teachers that I know have greater staff retention, less sick days, higher outcomes and in the end save a whole bunch of money.

Positive School Climate:

A robust school climate characterized by trust, collaboration, and a sense of belonging among staff has been consistently associated with higher levels of teacher wellbeing and, consequently, improved student wellbeing (Davenport et al., 2020) "Schools that prioritize a supportive and inclusive culture create an environment in which both teachers and students thrive".

My Comment: have you ever worked at a school with a toxic school staff room with cliques and politics. I suggest this impacts not just job satisfaction but also on the wellbeing of children.

SEL and Wellbeing Integration:

The integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into teacher training and school curricula has a twofold impact on teacher and student wellbeing. As emphasized by Elias et al. (2018), "SEL equips teachers with the necessary skills to better manage classroom dynamics and emotional challenges, while students benefit from improved social and emotional competence".

My Comment: we think SEL is a one direction road where the knowledge giving teacher supplies the child but actually, this is a two way road where the teacher also benefits both directly from the knowledge and of course indirectly from easier-to-deal-with kids.

Teacher-Student Relationships:

Fostering positive relationships between teachers and students is pivotal for child wellbeing. As asserted by Jones and Brown (2017), "Teachers who are emotionally attuned to their students' needs and provide a supportive presence in the classroom significantly contribute to student emotional and academic growth".

My Comment: I don’t think it is possible to be a good teacher without good, natural emotional intelligence. (no, don't ask me what that is and how I would identify it!).

Policy and Administrative Support:

School policies and administrative practices that prioritise teacher wellbeing, such as manageable workloads and recognition of teacher contributions, play an indispensable role in enhancing overall school wellbeing for both teachers and students (Smith & Davis, 2016). "Administrative support is essential in creating an environment where teacher and student wellbeing are mutually reinforcing".

My Comment: as a parent, I would like to know that my child’s school prioritises their teacher’s wellbeing. As a parent, I want all stressed-out teachers of my child to get support and have a break.

 There’s no real conclusion here. It’s not like this is an astonishing breakthrough or we need to establish just how we journeyed this complicated and winding thought-path to this interesting destination. It’s all a bit obvious. The really astonishing fact is that this is rarely seen in school policies or prioritised by school leaders. Let that sink in for a moment.

Bibliography:

Davenport, E. C., et al. (2020). Building teacher and student well-being: School-based strategies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(1), 55-68.

Elias, M. J., et al. (2018). Promoting social and emotional learning: Guidelines for educators. ASCD.

Johnson, L., & Walker, S. (2018). The impact of teacher wellbeing on student learning: A review of the literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 74, 101-112.

Jones, H. A., & Brown, T. (2017). Teacher-student relationships and their impact on child wellbeing. Journal of School Psychology, 64, 202-214. 

Smith, R. L., & Davis, J. (2016). Administrative support for teacher wellbeing and its effects on student wellbeing. Educational Leadership, 98(4), 120-125.

Smith, T., et al. (2019). Teacher stress and its influence on student wellbeing: A longitudinal study. Educational Psychology, 45(2), 241-256.