The K-12 landscape has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. Throughout all the challenges and disruptions brought on by COVID-19, teachers have been on the front lines of managing this unpredictability and dealing with the day-to-day anxieties of living in a pandemic—and it’s clearly taken a toll on their wellbeing.
According to a national survey of school districts conducted by Reuters, more than half of school districts have reported an increase in teachers and support staff seeking assistance for mental health stresses.
To effectively support their students, teachers need support themselves, and social and emotional learning (SEL) plays an important role. With the right mix of tools and training, teachers are empowered to cope and adapt to ongoing changes inside and outside the classroom.
Research by Jennings & Greenberg underscores the benefits of SEL for educators, as well as its impact on students: “When adults have strong SEL skills and the knowledge and tools to combat this stress, they are better able to build relationships with students, effectively manage the learning environment, and deliver SEL curricula.”
Teachers’ support needs are two-fold
First, teachers need SEL support for themselves to stay healthy and model healthy behaviors for their students. Providing them with these tools can also help them manage the feelings of burnout, a prime cause of teacher attrition which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.
In addition, teachers need training in SEL as part of their professional development so that they can effectively deliver it in the classroom. According to a McGraw Hill report, only 22% of teachers feel they are “very prepared” to teach SEL skills, and 51% report that the level of SEL professional development offered at their school is not sufficient.
How to effectively support educators
The good news? There are many ways you can equip your teachers with the social and emotional competencies that will help them thrive during periods of stress and uncertainty.
1) Develop resilience
Resilience is a key attribute for adapting to the unknown and maintaining a healthy outlook on life.
Building an environment that fosters resilience at all levels—from the district to the school to the classroom—is not only smart but also effective because it helps educators become more resilient themselves.
2) Conduct pulse checks
Routine check-ins with teachers about their concerns, needs, and stressors can reveal opportunities to quickly address issues, as well as determine where to focus support efforts.
Through software tools like PowerSchool Professional Learning, administrators can use SEL surveys to gauge where teachers stand emotionally, and determine how to better support their needs.
For example, survey results may indicate that teachers are struggling with having to learn multiple new systems to adapt to virtual and hybrid learning environments. This feedback gives you the chance to reduce frustration by offering additional training on specific technical tools or providing more tech-support hours.
3) Equip teachers with the tools to teach SEL
In a CASEL national survey, 81% of teachers expressed the need for more time to build their SEL skills. The McGraw Hill report reveals they also want more time to implement these skills in their classrooms.
Incorporating SEL training courses into teachers’ professional development can solve this problem.
But everyone is busy, and now more than ever, it’s nearly impossible to align everyone’s calendars. Consider your teachers’ diverse needs and schedules and growing preferences to have options to engage in training in ways that work best for them. When establishing training plans, you could offer courses in different formats or in asynchronous and synchronous learning styles to provide that flexibility.
4) Empower educators to make more data-driven decisions
Incorporating analytics into teachers’ daily routines can help them identify potential issues that appear in the data before they appear in the classroom. A critical first step in building a data-driven culture is to create a centralized platform for educators and administrators.
For effective decision-making, it’s important to look at access and alignment with state and federal standards, ease of use of the platform, and ability to draw conclusions from the data. A platform like [Analytics & Insights], for example, can make it easier for teachers to spot red flags with their students and inform decision-making that has a positive impact on learning outcomes.
5) Create an SEL-supportive environment throughout districts
Fostering a supportive school climate for teachers is key to addressing the stresses they’re experiencing, even beyond the classroom. It’s important to remember that many teachers are also parents themselves and may be struggling to support their own children’s responses to disruptions from the pandemic.
Encourage collaboration, create flexibility where possible, and offer supplemental resources and trainings that are easy to use. For example, using a familiar Learning Management System (LMS) that teachers use with their own students, like Schoology Learning, can help ease the process.
And don’t forget your newest teachers, who are often the most vulnerable. Even before the pandemic, an average of 44% left the profession within their first five years of teaching—so be sure to pay special attention to them and their wellbeing.
Building a culture of support for teachers
Building a larger and connected culture of support is crucial to helping teachers avoid burnout in times of transition.
From offering flexible professional development to building confidence in your teachers’ ability to provide SEL support to their students, prioritizing SEL can make a significant difference in how teachers achieve their instructional goals—and successfully navigate change.
Guide to Improving Social and Emotional Learning Support
Take an in-depth look at how SEL can positively impact your teachers, students, school, and district.
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