The Benefits of Self-Care

lifestyle is just part of the job; there simply isn’t enough time to be a good teacher and take care of yourself” (Gonzalez, 2017).

Professor Keith Herman, doctoral student Jal’et Hickmon-Rosa, and professor Wendy Reinke (2018) note in a prominent study, “Teacher stress and burnout are significant problems that affect our schools. Finding innovative and impactful ways to improve outcomes for students by supporting teachers may make a significant contribution to society” (p. 98).

When teachers thrive emotionally, physically, and psychologically, the list of positive consequences is almost limitless. Consider that when students describe the qualities of effective teachers, they commonly observe that these teachers seem to enjoy what they are doing (Urban, 2008). The teachers want to be in the classroom. The classroom rejuvenates them. In short, the best teachers derive genuine joy and purpose from their interactions in the classroom (Adams, 2016). Self-care makes for more positive and productive classroom teachers—which makes for more positive and productive students.

Data confirm that when teachers feel good about themselves and their profession, they are more likely to provide a high-quality education to their students. Trauma consultant William Steele (2017), for example, has argued that teachers who eagerly practice self-care are far more likely to be proactive in reacting to both student challenges and overall challenges of the educational system. Self-care gives teachers the tools they need to effectively cope with the difficult circumstances of 21st century education.

NOTICE the WAVE

Do school staff talk about self-care at your school? If so, does it seem like a perfunctory conversation, or do both administrators and teachers take it seriously? If staff haven’t brought up self-care, how do you think your colleagues would react to the topic?

Summary

Teaching has never been easy. Standing in front of dozens of young people for hours every single day can be challenging even in the most stable and supportive of environments. And sadly, most teachers feel that their jobs are more stressful in 2020 than they were in 2010. Everything is faster—the trends, the technology, the unpredictable disruptions to the profession itself—which adds to teachers’ difficulty in maintaining a positive, productive frame of mind. Irrespective of the reasons for this shift in attitude