In October, you were introduced to the concept of mental health hygiene and how caring for your mental health can fall into different categories (remember the self-care wheel). This month I want to continue the conversation, but switch gears to what administrators can do to help teachers improve their mental health hygiene. 

Administrators can help their staff gauge energy and stress levels by checking in with them. One way to do that is through a survey. For example, this Energy Check-In from the workbook Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators, combines the categories of body, emotion, mind, and spirit to help evaluate energy levels. Based on this assessment, if a staff member receives a score of less than 54, it means that they might be approaching “an energy crisis. ” This could mean they are overworked, overwhelmed, and/or stressed. 

Although each staff member may individually be working on their mental health hygiene, it’s not always enough. Sometimes administrators need to step-in to help prevent burnout. So, what should administrators do if their staff receives a low score on a survey like this? 

Creating a Culture

Administrators can create a culture in their buildings that supports mental wellness in several different ways, such as, regular check-ins, normalizing care, granting mental health wellness days, and allowing more planning time.

Regular Check-Ins

Checking in with staff regularly will ensure that you are alerted to changes in stress levels. This could be through surveys, but it doesn’t always have to be. Other ways to check-in could include stopping by classrooms to see and chat with staff. You could also set up regular meetings or chats.

Normalizing Care

When creating a culture that supports mental wellness, it is important to normalize caring for one another. One way to do this is by modeling check-ins and making connections with one another.  Consider this concept from Brene Brown where she suggests that you start every staff meeting with a two feeling word check-in. Teaching can oftentimes be lonely and people crave being seen and appreciated.  Consider building routines that foster connection.  

Mental Health Wellness Days

Many districts are noticing a common theme of stress this year. Some school districts have amended their schedules to include mental health wellness days. Teachers need some time to relax, recharge, and refresh. If you are able to do so, grant your teachers a day or two for mental health wellness.

Planning Time

In these ever changing times, teachers have had to adapt to their classroom needs. Teachers have lost a substantial amount of planning time this year because of teacher shortages and high workloads. One way to help your staff is to allow them some extra planning time. By building in more planning time, teachers will not have to plan on their personal time. 

Getting Started

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg! Each school has different needs, so start by checking in with your teachers and hearing their feedback.  As you think about how you want to re-energize your teachers, I encourage you to be gentle, yet real with yourself and your staff. Take the time to invest in creating a better work environment.

If you are in need of additional services supports for you and your staff, please reach our to me, Rukshana Ilahi.

#MentalHealthMatters #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd #EdLeadership

This blog post was written by Rukshana Ilahi, Mental Wellness Consultant for Kent ISD and edited by Amanda Walma, Professional Learning Coordinator and Sara Sefcik, PD Hub Intern for Kent ISD.