Statewide Well-Being Team News
Winter 2024
Did You Know? U.S. Worker Burnout
These results are based on the Gallup Panel Workforce Study, conducted Feb. 3-14, 2022, with 12,319 U.S. full-time employees, including 1,263 K-12 workers.
Within the K-12 employee population, teachers are the most burned out, at 52%. (Click picture to enlarge)
What Can You Do About It?
Getting Started: The AEA statewide well-being team believes that it is the professional responsibility of all educators and educational systems to prioritize organizational and individual well-being.
Well-being generally accounts for the whole person, their lifestyle, or how external factors may affect their overall health, which includes multiple dimensions (physical, psychological, financial, vocational, etc.) Creating common beliefs, vocabulary and understanding is a critical first step in any change process.
Environment
- Keep physical environment well-lit and well maintained.
- Establish a gratitude wall in classroom/school.
- Designate teacher wellness spot, such as a break room.
- Provide access to how and where to seek support.
- Encourage materials displayed in school.
Relationships
- Foster intentional mentorship.
- Provide opportunity for teacher-to-teacher connection.
- Allow for multi-directional feedback.
- Demonstrate and accept that its okay to make mistakes.
- Commit to catching others doing well and calling them out.
- Do random acts of kindness.
Engagement
- Identify personal character strengths and have conversations with colleagues about strengths.
- Have leadership match staff with activities that use their strengths.
- Set meaningful goals.
Values and Meaning
- Include and promote wellness as part of school values.
- Have leaders provide time and resources for teachers to work on their personal wellness.
- Track professional progress.
- Provide opportunities for education about stress and well-being.
Accomplishment
- Reinforce wellness goals.
- Set goals with multiple pathways.
- Engage in solution-focused conversations.
- Celebrate moments of positive impact.
(Falecki & Mann, 2020)
What Are the First Steps States, Districts and Schools Can Take to Improve Teacher Well-Being?
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were at a high risk for experiencing professional burnout and stress. Teacher well-being directly impacts student outcomes. A lack of focus on educator well-being can contribute to a host of issues in schools. Learn more about the main areas of teacher stress and ways schools can improve teacher wellbeing in this document by the National Center for School Mental Health.
What can YOU do?
- Visit Scanlan Center for School Mental Health for Online Professional Learning and a Podcast about Teacher Wellness.
- Explore your local AEA’s website for Professional Learning opportunities on educator wellbeing.
What can your SCHOOL do?
- Building a Culture of Staff Wellness
- The Adult Resilience Curriculum
- Ensure all employees are aware of EAP (employee assistance program) and how to access.
Making Connections: Additional Resources
- The SAMI refers to staff wellbeing on item IF 2, Optimal Learning Environment.
- Panorama Student Success offers many free tools and resources for adult wellbeing.
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The Iowa Psychological Association’s Disaster Response Committee has shared these resources to assist you and your students in times of crisis.
- Each AEA also has experts in this area to support a systems level support from prevention, to targeted support, and intensive support.
- Restorative practices and circles can also be a tool or resource to support educator Well-Being during times of uncertainty and criss.
