5 Ways The School Systems Can Prioritize Teachers' Mental Health
Teaching can be an incredibly rewarding profession, but it can also be challenging and stressful. Teachers are responsible for the education and well-being of their students, which can be a heavy burden to carry. Teachers are sometimes exposed to violence on the job, and they’re often navigating relationships with parents and trying to meet expectations from the school’s administration. As a result, teachers often experience high levels of stress and burnout, which can have a negative impact on their mental health. In this blog post, we will explore some ways that school systems can support teachers' mental health.
Provide Mental Health Resources
School systems can provide mental health resources for teachers, such as access to counseling services, workshops on managing stress, and self-care strategies. This can help teachers learn how to recognize and cope with the symptoms of burnout and stress, and it can also help reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues. It’s important to note that school systems must also create a culture where teachers are TRULY encouraged to implement these practices for well-being into their lives.
For example, encouraging teachers to seek out mental health counseling services is great, AND those teachers need to know that it is OK for them to attend their therapy sessions during the course of their work day, even if it means that they need to use sick time to attend. Many teachers seek counseling services in the evenings and weekends as a result of their teaching schedules, but evening and weekend appointments are incredibly hard to find. If school systems encourage teachers to tend to their mental health via counseling, it’s important for teachers to know that they WILL be supported when they need to take time off to attend their sessions. Otherwise, they receive conflicting messages about the importance of their mental well-being.
For school administrators, it’s important to know that emotionally healthy teachers will be better teachers!
Encourage Collaboration and Support
Teaching can be a solitary profession, and many teachers feel isolated in their work. School systems can encourage collaboration and support among teachers by creating opportunities for them to work together, share ideas, and provide feedback. This can help teachers feel more connected to their colleagues and reduce feelings of isolation and burnout.
Provide Time for Professional Development
Teachers are lifelong learners, and continuing professional development is essential for their growth and development. School systems can support teachers' mental health by providing time and resources for professional development. This can help teachers feel more confident in their abilities and reduce feelings of stress and burnout.
Promote Work-Life Balance
Teaching can be an all-consuming profession, and many teachers struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Teachers often find themselves grading at home or responding to parents’ calls and emails after hours. School systems can promote work-life balance by encouraging teachers to take breaks and use their time off effectively. School systems can also implement policies around when parents and teachers may communicate, so teachers do not feel that they need to be responsive after work. Schools can also find ways to help teachers limit the amount of work they are doing after hours. This can help teachers avoid burnout and maintain their mental health.
Recognize and Reward Teachers' Contributions
Teachers are often underappreciated, and their contributions to their schools and communities can go unnoticed. School systems can support teachers' mental health by recognizing and rewarding their contributions. This can help teachers feel valued and appreciated, which can boost their self-esteem and reduce feelings of stress and burnout.
As you can see, school systems can support teachers' mental health in a variety of ways. By prioritizing teachers' mental health, school systems can create a more supportive and positive work environment, which can ultimately benefit both teachers and students. As always, actions are more important than words. Teachers need to see that schools are not simply talking about self-care but actually encouraging self-care practices to be implemented.
If you are a teacher or school administrator in the Greater Baltimore area who is looking for support in implementing some of these practices, LifeSpring Counseling Services is here to help. Just reach out to us to see how we can help.
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LifeSpring Counseling Services offers Workplace Wellness Services that include educational workshops, experiential workshops, and retreats. If you believe that your workplace could benefit from these services, you can 1. share this information with your supervisor or company CEO, or 2. if you are the person in charge, just fill out this form.
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Photo Credit: Katerina Holmes and Kampus Production
Date of download: 3/29/2023
