Your teaching staff may need a helping hand to remember self-care. Why is it important? Let’s find out…
Wellbeing training is a so-often overlooked area of teaching. We train the children in meditation and self-care practices, but we don’t always put those practices into place for our employees. As teachers and as educators, we need to place more importance on our own wellbeing, because how can we teach a child about mindfulness when we don’t have any in our day-to-day teaching practices?
To start learning about wellbeing, we need to appreciate it’s importance. Let’s examine some of the reasons why teachers need to worry about their wellbeing, and then discuss what we can do about it.
Why Wellbeing is Important in Teaching
Teaching staff in the UK are seriously stressed out. We would love to blame it on the pandemic, but teaching staff were stretched to breaking point before covid came about. As far back as 2013, studies were reporting an all-time high in teacher turnover, and the situation has only worsened since. Teaching staff are so stressed out that they are leaving their roles and retraining elsewhere. The UK has had an ongoing teacher shortage for years because of it, and the problem only seems to be growing worse.
Earlier in the year, the Guardian reported that the government failed to meet teacher employment targets for the 7th year in a row this year. That’s 7 years of chronic understaffing and underfunding. Teacher wellbeing is important because under the conditions they are made to work in, there are few breaks, little perks of the job and, in some instances, teachers are forced to spend their own money on classroom materials.
On top of all the above, these teachers are dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in our society. They are looking out for signs of neglect or abuse, making sure each child has enough to eat out of their own pocket, and are helping with tuition when they often aren’t being paid overtime. Teachers have every right to be stressed. Alongside our doctors and nurses, they are pulling the longest shifts to do the most important work in our communities.
Wellbeing is important for teachers because the very least we can do for them, is to teach them how to take care of themselves amid all of this.
How to Encourage Teaching Staff to Act?
There are several training courses online that can help your teaching staff improve their regard for their own wellbeing. Among the best of these are the courses offered by Hays Wellbeing Training. They offer fully free to use video lessons and interactive training for all teaching staff, everywhere. They sell safeguarding training and other products, but their wellbeing is free to use.
Staff should be given access to online resources that help build a teaching community of positivity. If you can foster a community within your teaching facility, which encourages sharing of thoughts and experiences, as well as tackling tough emotions, then you can be sure of a reduced staff turnover and a happier working environment.
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