north east regional extra | November 23 - 29, 2022
nemedia.com.au
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November 23 - 29, 2022
By SIMONE KERWIN
IT was while on leave following the sudden death of her father in 2018 that Kylie Wealands began considering the need for increased staff wellbeing support at Wangaratta High School, where she has taught for almost 15 years. “I started to look at the ways we help people return to work, and recognised something was needed, that a role was required to look at wellbeing support for all staff,” she said. At a time when teachers spend, on average, more than 47.5 hours each week on school-related activities; there is an increase in stress caused by mental health issues; recent Monash University research found 59 per cent of Australian teachers are considering leaving the profession; and in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions and remote learning, teacher and school staff wellbeing is a hot issue. “We do a lot of work around graduates, but those of us who want to stay in the profession, who may have been in schools for eight years or more, can sometimes get a bit forgotten,” Kylie said. “We needed something in place for everyone.” Taking on the staff wellbeing role in 2019, Kylie tapped into the work of Daniela Falecki and her Teacher Wellbeing program. Known as the ‘keep it real teacher’, Daniela dedicates her time and energy to helping teachers across the world realise they deserve to prioritise their wellbeing just as much as that of others. The wellbeing role emerged from Kylie’s research, and since 2019 she has been running sessions for staff once a term under the five dimensions of wellbeing: cognitive, physical, emotional, spiritual and social. She has also provided activities for staff which promote collegiality and a sense of connectedness, ranging from afternoon tea made and enjoyed together, to a games session.
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Warriors for wellbeing ◆ CREATING SPACE: Wangaratta High School teacher, and staff wellbeing support, Kylie Wealands in the area set aside in the school’s staff room to focus on wellbeing.
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