What Research Shows about Supporting Educator Wellbeing
This is part one of a four part series: Supporting Educator Wellbeing
As teachers are taking a break to recover from this past school year, we will spend the month of June highlighting ways to support their wellbeing. This series aims to give tips for principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, specialists, and district staff in how we relate to classroom teachers. Teachers, when you’re not sipping a cold drink by the pool, pop in to the comments and join the conversation.
While completing a paper in grad school, I came some interesting research that finally gave scientific language to what I experienced as a burnt out classroom teacher:
When I was stressed, students’ stress increased.
The phrase ‘If mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy’ had never felt more true as a classroom teacher. There were times early in my career where I would become so frustrated in the classroom and in turn I would notice my students becoming more frustrated. At times when I was able to self regulate my emotions and remain calm, the students’ frustration did not build.
A study from the University of British Columbia published in 2016 showed the link between the classroom teacher’s burnout levels and students’ physiological stress response. The study took inventory of teacher’s burnout using an assessment and took inventory of the student’s cortisol levels by swabbing their saliva three times a day in the classroom.
The results found that in classrooms where teacher burnout was high, student’s morning cortisol levels were significantly higher. Meaning, a teacher’s burnout and stress is linked to their student’s physiological stress regulation. ‘If mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy’
“It is clear from a number of recent research studies that teaching is one of the most stressful professions, and that teachers need adequate resources and support in their jobs in order to battle burnout and alleviate stress in the classroom,” said UBC education professor Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, the study’s co-author and director of HELP. “If we do not support teachers, we risk the collateral damage of students.”
This research should be enough to make teacher wellbeing a priority in schools.
If you are interested in more research, head to EdWeek to read about another study done at the University of Austin on how teachers perceive stress.
So what can we do to support a teacher’s wellbeing?
Notice physical signs of stress. And ask about the teacher's wellbeing often. When we genuinely check on teacher’s and offer the support that they need, their perception of stress will decrease.
For example, if you are meeting with a teacher or group of teachers who appear physically stressed, pause the meeting. Invite the teacher to go on a walk with you rather than meeting in their classroom or stale office space. Taking a walk outside or down the hall can help remove a teacher from the stress of their classroom, boosting their mood, loosening up tension, and reconnecting to their physical body.
Occupational stress among teachers has risen dramatically since the pandemic and heightened political tension. It is up to us to support teachers’ wellbeing so that they can remain present and flourish in their classrooms.
