Caring for Educators

SEL for Adults

Taken from the "Impact of Burnout on Teachers and the School Community" by the Niroga Institute, a wellness organization based in Oakland, Ca.

Why Prioritize Educators?

The information found on this page is primarily intended for district personnel, administrators and leaders. Although there is a section with resources for educators in terms of self-care, it is critical for leaders to remember that creating a space and time for teachers to practice self-care is just as critical as asking them to prioritize their own self-care.

We hope to provide essential strategies for district and site leaders to support SEL for the adults on campus and to do so in a systematic and timely manner. When educational institutions do not address the care and well-being of educators and staff (whether through culture, climate or policy), there are significant negative fiscal, student and community implications as seen on the infographic provided in this section. Taking a proactive approach to the upcoming needs of both students and staff will be critical to the well-being and healing of our educational communities.

We hope that the information and strategies provided are helpful to both leaders and educators.

Other evidence-based wellness strategies can be found here.

How Can We Support Educators?

1) Cultivate positive connections between staff members. When we’re stressed, often the way we heal is in relationships with other people. So just like traumatized students need to feel safe and supported, teachers who work with them need to feel this way as well. Taking the time to build a strong staff community, and filling teachers’ cups with positive interactions and specific praise from both colleagues and administrators, will help them feel cared for and this will in turn help them take better care of their students.

2) Create a wellness group for teachers—but keep it optional. Giving teachers a time and space to talk about what’s stressing them out—and, most importantly, to practice calming techniques such as mindfulness or progressive muscle relaxation—can mitigate their stress.

3) Start each staff meeting with a wellness practice. If a wellness group or daily walk doesn’t seem feasible, you can use staff meetings to encourage teachers to de-stress and support one another. Some suggestions include:

Begin with three minutes of mindfulness breathing
Take turns expressing gratitude to other staff members
Practice a few minutes of loving-kindness meditation

Adapted from The Greater Good Magazine article, "How to Support Stressed-Out Teachers"

Staff Care Kaiser Permanente, Planning for the next normal at school.pdf

Excerpt taken from Kaiser Permanente's Playbook, "Planning for the Next Normal at School" (For live links, click HERE and see page 77, Staff and Teacher Well-Being)