Supporting The Well-Being Of Your Busy School Staff

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

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We’ve looked at the back-to-school stress that can affect students and families, but what about the faculty? Teaching and running a school can be a stressful job and it’s the role of any school administrator to make sure that they’re managing the well-being of their team.

To that end, we’re going to look at some of the considerations that might be worth making if you’re noticing that morale is down across the board.

Build the cohesive team you need

A sense of belonging, community, good communication, and trust between teachers, the support staff, and other members of the faculty can do a lot to improve the well-being of the school, overall. As such, team building should be taken seriously.

Invest in teacher team-building activities to build better bonds between members of staff, allowing them to collaborate and communicate more effectively. Don’t treat it as something that should be done perfunctorily every year or so. Make a real effort into using it as the tool that can establish a positive work culture and cohesive working team.

Ensure they can allocate their time effectively

The burden of making sure that teachers have all the time that they need to fulfill all of their duties shouldn’t fall on them. Teaching them time management strategies isn’t enough. Careful thought needs to go into ways to reduce the class contact time teachers need so that they can find the space to give to their administrative duties. This can reduce the amount of work from home that teachers have to do, which in turn can help improve work-life balance and fight the risk of burnout.

Do they have enough space?

Schools can be very cramped places. Especially if yours is growing, accepting more admissions, and welcoming new teachers and staff. You may find that your school is beginning to outgrow its current trappings and, as such, it might be necessary to consider a move.

You can find office space for schools that comes equipped with all of the necessities, including labs, classrooms, lunch rooms, and more. Enough space for your faculty to do their work, including back offices and teachers’ lounge has to be strongly considered, as well as necessities such as parking.

Providing help and support

There has to be a culture of helping and supporting those members of staff who are struggling. A strong HR department can ensure that teachers and staff feel confident that they are able to seek the support they need when they feel that their or their colleagues’ well-being is under threat.

Providing early access to support means that your organization is better equipped to tackle issues before they grow unsustainable. This includes help for mental health problems, dealing with harassment or other toxic workplace behaviors, and support for teachers who are having trouble dealing with certain students.

A career in education is tough, any teacher or member of the support staff can tell you that much. As such, it’s your role to do what you can to support the well-being of your team.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.