Model wellness

Teaching requires a great deal of emotional labor, and teachers’ stress levels are often at the same level as emergency room doctors’ and nurses’. Encourage teachers to take breaks from work and to set boundaries—and do so yourself as well. You might take a quick walk outside during the day or not answer emails after 6 p.m, or you could work, meditate, or have quiet time every morning before school. Consider who on your staff might be experiencing significant stressors, and make it clear to them that you value their wellness and would like to help them develop a strategy to cope.

Address teachers’ mental, emotional, and professional needs. You can do this by demonstrating that you’re listening to—and acting on—teachers’ feedback. When you notice your teachers need support, a break, or some encouragement, provide it. And this goes for teachers, too: Seek out ways to support your colleagues. In this challenging profession, humane environments that allow teachers to grow professionally and personally are essential so they can do the vital work with students that brought them to teaching in the first place.