Compassionate support for teachers’ emotional work

In the second article in the series, Jon Reid examines the need for compassionate support for teachers to enable them to effectively manage the emotional aspects of their role.

In the previous article, the emotional work of teachers was described and examined. If we acknowledge that teaching, as a relational activity, involves daily emotional experiences, we must also appreciate that teachers’ emotional work can be pervasive, is often complex and at times can be contradictory and difficult to contain. Because teachers often support children and young people with more complex profiles associated with social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), adversity, abuse, or trauma, it is important to recognise that their emotional work is often intense, can be difficult, and is, at times, distressing. As suggested previously, the extent of teachers’ emotional work has been largely neglected or underestimated in previous research and is completely ignored in the current policy context. We must, therefore, ensure that teachers’ emotional work is supported through the development of compassionate school communities.

The importance of compassion with regards to wellbeing has long been recognised. For Professor Paul Gilbert, who originally conceptualised the role of compassion in therapeutic contexts, compassion is associated with an evolved motivation to care. He also suggests that compassion can be experienced for others, from others and for self. Dr Mary Welford, a chartered clinical psychologist who has examined the impact of compassion-based school initiatives, defined compassion as “a sensitivity to our own, and other people’s distress, plus a motivation to prevent or alleviate this distress”. Essentially, while compassion involves noticing difficulties or distress in ourselves and others, importantly, there is then a need to do something about these experiences.

In the context of education, my research revealed that compassionate support for teachers’ emotional work can be experienced through informal, unstructured opportunities and can be experienced from others through more formal, structured opportunities. Compassion for self was associated with individual approaches to self-care.

With regards to informal, unstructured support for emotional work, compassion for others was experienced by teachers when schools collectively exhibited a culture of care, where wellbeing was prioritised and where the ethos of the school encouraged emotional safety. Emotional safety in schools was created when teachers were encouraged to talk openly and honestly about the emotional work that they engage in. In these schools, teacher wellbeing was described as being a pre-occupation for all colleagues, irrespective of role or responsibilities, and was associated with non-hierarchical, equal support opportunities. Consequently, all staff experienced the same support for wellbeing. Teachers in these schools described feeling part of a family or community, where colleagues, including the senior leadership team (SLT), regularly ‘checked in’ on each other’s wellbeing. While these emotional check-ins occurred throughout the school day, they might also involve a message or a phone call after school, for example. After a difficult or distressing incident in school, a compassionate school response was associated with giving a teacher time and space away from the classroom, where emotional or practical support could be provided. This time and space was spontaneously provided to facilitate rest and recuperation, but also to encourage reflection. Compassion was also experienced when colleagues exhibited an awareness of each other through showing caring concern.

Caring concern was associated with colleagues showing an active interest in each other’s wellbeing through being approachable, available and present. Caring concern was also shown through simple acts of kindness such as making drinks, sharing food or ‘treats’ or writing sticky notes of encouragement, for example.

Structured, formal opportunities to support teachers’ emotional work were associated with organised, protected spaces for teachers to talk about the emotional aspects of their work. These spaces, where compassion from others was experienced, provided regular opportunities for teachers to reflect together and talk openly, honestly and safely about their emotional experiences and feelings without fear of judgement. Giving time to talk about emotional work, through reflective spaces or supervision sessions, offered teachers the opportunity to process this work and to develop shared understandings of their professional experiences in a confidential space. Through sharing emotions, feelings and professional experiences, teachers were encouraged to reflect together on their work with children, class dynamics or professional dilemmas, for example, and to examine the impact of such work on themselves and each other.

While exhibiting compassion for others and experiencing compassion from others were found to support teacher wellbeing, showing compassion for self was also found to be essential. Unfortunately, my research revealed that while teachers did talk about how the wellbeing of others in school was supported, they talked less about how their own wellbeing was supported, whether by themselves or others. Self-compassion is associated with looking after one’s own wellbeing. In the context of education, while this is often associated with issues such as managing work-life balance, my research revealed that self-compassion was connected with attempts to separate teachers’ personal and professional identities. This was achieved by creating an emotional, relational, or, at times, physical distance from their work. This was created through activities such as participating in exercise or sports, being outdoors, spending time with family, friends, undertaking hobbies, spending time alone, listening to music, mindfulness, yoga, being creative or going on holiday.

From the perspective of creating compassionate school communities to support the emotional work of teachers, the ethos and culture of a school is particularly important. In schools where teachers feel part of a caring community, they are also more able to talk openly and honestly about the emotional work that they engage in. When compassion is in play, emotional safety is enhanced. When teachers feel emotionally safe, they are more able to authentically explore the emotional work that they engage in. In reflective spaces or supervision sessions, teachers are encouraged to reflect together during open, honest, and non-judgemental conversations. Providing time and space for teachers to talk about their emotional work enables them to share experiences that are meaningful and relevant to their daily professional experiences. Discussion, in turn, means that teachers are able to sensitively and empathetically consider their experiences and collaboratively think about how best to respond to such experiences.

To support the emotional work of teachers, it is essential that this work is compassionately recognised by government. Recognising the significance of teachers’ emotional work in relation to their wellbeing means there is also a need to acknowledge this work in the context of policy. Once this is achieved, support for teachers’

Dr Jon Reid

Dr Jon Reid is a senior lecturer in child development, special educational needs/ disabilities and inclusion at Oxford Brookes University, where he works with Initial Teachers Education, undergraduate and postgraduate students. He is the MA Education: SEND strand leader, liaison manager for the Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Association (SEBDA)/Oxford Brookes University collaboration and a trustee for the Institute of Recovery from Childhood Trauma. As part of his doctoral research, he explored teachers’ emotional work, support for their wellbeing and the role of compassion.

emotional work will need to be properly funded to enable schools to provide regular, structured and protected time and space for teachers to talk openly and honestly about their emotional work. This then ensures that they can reflect collaboratively on the impact of this work on themselves and each other. Recognising, acknowledging and supporting the emotional work of teachers will help to create compassionate schools where the wellbeing of the entire community is enhanced.

To learn more about the role of compassion focused therapeutic ideas, the work of Professor Paul Gilbert can offer insights, while Dr Mary Welford, Professor Frankie Maratos and Dr Marcela Matos can inform on compassion-informed approaches in schools.

My Doctoral research exploring teachers’ emotional work, support for their wellbeing and the role of compassion is also available for those who wish to explore a conceptualisation of Compassion Focused Education