Teacher Pedagogy: What’s Wellbeing Got to Do With It?

(Nelson, J, 2021)

It’s been said that teaching is an intellectual, moral and noble profession – one that has the ability to significantly shape lives and mold the future of individuals. And yet, in spite of this, each year a considerable number of teachers opt to depart the profession, fleeing the building with their cardboard boxes and disappearing into the horizon, never to be seen in a classroom again. It’s argued that as an occupation, teaching is plagued with an overwhelming number of challenges, contradictions and frustrations which are the root causes of the rise of teacher attrition (Strickland, 2020; Howard, 2020).

And let’s face it. In the 21st century the role of the teacher just keeps expanding, much like a post-banquet waistline. New duties, new expectations, new policy changes and new demands are added to the pile each year, and one of the most pressing issues in the education sector is teacher burnout. But how can this possibly be true when of late, each organisation has begun famously and furiously waving the white flag known as wellbeing?

Yes, wellbeing.

Wellbeing has become the latest commonplace ‘buzzword’ in many industries, more notably, in the field of education. But while research indicates that select schools have shown some improvement in addressing wellbeing, the problem still remains that there is little emphasis on endorsing positive mental health for teachers. The result? Higher levels of workplace dissatisfaction and an alarmingly rapid increase in attrition in schools.

In 2023, the role of the teacher has never been more diverse, nor more complex, with larger expectations being added to a teacher’s role description as time progresses (Strickland, 2020). The teacher is no longer merely responsible for the delivery of curriculum, but additionally for ensuring the wellbeing and success of each individual student. Contributing to the busy nature of this role is the accommodation of diverse learning needs, overseeing administrative affairs such as data collection, assessment, reporting and planning and lastly, maintaining regular communication with all stakeholders (Allen & Sims, 2018). And folks, lest we forget that not only are our teachers under scrutiny from parents and students, but they are also answerable to a hierarchy of educational managers and leaders.

Educators: We’ve all been there before.

Severe exhuastion.

An overwhelming workload.

Relentless dissatisfaction.

Ongoing demoralisation.

Long nights.

Late nights.

Early mornings.

Meetings.

More meetings.

Meetings that could have been an email.

After-school sports.

Grading.

Parent emails.

Parent interviews.

Lunch duties.

Bus duties.

Extra curricular activities.

Student mentoring.

Feedback.

Reporting.

Data entry.

Data analysis.

Meetings about data analysis.

Throw in another meeting ‘just in case’.

…The list is endless and remains forever changing.

The research doesn’t lie, folks. Many have indicated that an excessive workload is among the top reasons causing a mass exodus of teachers from the profession (Allen & Sims, 2018; Maxwell, 2019; Howard, 2020; Strickland, 2020). Skaalvik and Skaalvik (2016) argue that the primary causes of poor wellbeing in teachers are emotional exhaustion and individual burnout. Similarly, Hochstetler (2011) emphasises that the “emotional cost” of remaining in the teaching profession has become far too high for teachers, and that the causes of poor teacher wellbeing and job-related dissatisfaction is “largely systemic, not personal” (Hochstetler, 2011, p.26).

In spite of this, there appears to be a rising trend in school culture where the wellbeing of the student is concerned, with Positive Education programs being implemented and student support being at the forefront of school agendas. And while over time, this increased focus has assisted in improving and enhancing the wellbeing of the student, the truth is that little focus has been given to those who are responsible for implementing such wellbeing in classrooms: the teacher. So the question is, with so much focus on the welfare and support of students , who is supporting - as Hattie (2018) coined - the one who has the most significant impact on student achievement?

The teacher.

The mass exodus of teachers comes down to poor staff wellbeing, burnout and low self-efficacy among many other causes, and this begs us to question - how many more teachers will we lose before we learn to foster wellbeing?

Now, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, educational researchers and psychologists have discovered many antidotes to the lack of wellbeing for teachers. Glazzard and Rose (2019) suggest exercise, finding ways to incorporate flexible working hours and learning to change one’s belief patterns as coping strategies for teachers to improve their mental health. But let’s address the elephant in the room. Such suggestions reveal the very reason why the wellbeing of teachers is currently at an all-time low. The problem is that each of these recommendations places yet another responsibility on the teacher to manage. Here, the educator is expected to resolve the issue on an individual basis with little help, support or guidance from administrative leadership. And while many institutions may be attempting to resolve this issue and celebrate the superheroes that are our educators, the truth is that there is a significant gap in the ways that many school cultures prioritise the concept of teacher wellbeing.

So, the question remains as to whether teacher wellbeing is deemed vital at all, or something that perhaps, society has come to overlook. A complimentary coffee and a chocolate on one’s desk are nudges of warmth and support. But no educator can seek to inspire, uplift and educate students if there remains little energy, passion and zest for the profession itself. Ultimately, for schools to continue maximising student achievement, there is a serious need for educational institutions to offer further support for staff on the front line - and not only when International Teacher’s Day rolls around.

If the most powerful impact on the future of our world - that is, our students - stems directly from the teacher, then teacher wellbeing must be at the forefront of every school agenda, every improvement framework and every whole school policy.

Why? Because the future of our once-noble profession depends on it.



- Stephanie Martin (2023)