Supporting staff wellbeing in extraordinary times

NOREEN COLL DEPUTY PRINCIPAL, ST. KILIAN’S JNS, CASTLEVIEW, DUBLIN 24

Wellbeing is the experience of health, happiness, being socially connected and purposeful. It includes having good mental health, high life-satisfaction, a sense of meaning and the ability to manage stress. When we nurture our wellbeing, we feel that life is in balance and that we can generally cope well. We feel motivated and engaged, we’re resilient and able to deal effectively with life’s challenges.

As school leaders grapple with the challenges generated by Covid-19, it is essential that teachers and staff are afforded appropriate emotional and practical assistance to support their wellbeing so that they can, in turn, support their pupils.

A school’s ethos, culture and environment will have a major impact on the wellbeing of its staff and pupils. It is important for leaders to define that culture and vision and the behaviours, values and beliefs that support it. It is important that the school leadership team works to build a culture of trust where school staff feel valued, where they can be open about their health and wellbeing and know how to access support if they need it. For all of this to happen, it is essential that the principal and leadership team model good mental health and wellbeing practice. It is also important that school leaders remember to look after their own mental health and wellbeing, alongside that of their staff.

STRATEGIES FOR WELLBEING DURING THE PANDEMIC A wellbeing coordinator should be appointed in schools to liaise with the

management team and the staff, and to help implement strategies.

The wellbeing coordinator should source staff mindfulness resources. Mindfulness, the ability to be fully present in the moment, can have numerous benefits. It can help to reduce stress, enhance performance and lead to increased levels of focus and happiness. Currently, mindfulness sessions can be facilitated online through the wealth of material available. Staff should be encouraged to share online videos and sessions that are particularly helpful.

School leaders should provide positive feedback to staff, to encourage, motivate and inspire. They should notice good practice around the school and provide constructive appraisal more frequently than in ‘normal’ times. As well as developing confidence, teacher feedback creates a positive impact on individual and team performance.

The wellbeing coordinator should encourage staff to link with colleagues remotely, to support each other in providing opportunities for reflective practice and in problem-solving schoolbased challenges.

This year, it is more difficult to create a sense of belonging in the school as face-to-face peer teamwork is not feasible. However, team interaction should continue whenever possible and using online platforms to connect should be encouraged.

The wellbeing coordinator should encourage staff to practice gratitude on a daily basis. Gratitude is an affirmation of all that is good in our lives. Grateful people are more resistant to stress because gratitude generates a perspective from which they can interpret negative life events and it also guards against stress and anxiety. Gratitude helps us to pay less attention to negative emotions that can compromise our wellbeing and happiness. Some schools are providing gratitude journals for staff to encourage positive practices that enrich their personal and professional lives.

School leaders should ensure that there is a culture of clear communication about workplace wellbeing, where staff feel comfortable talking about their concerns and where principals have an open-door policy to listen to them. Staff should be consulted about change and also be involved in developing problem-solving strategies. If school leaders have concerns, a staff wellbeing survey could be useful and this could help generate feedback and ideas.

Finally, we should not underestimate the small gestures that help to create a positive culture in the school, occasionally providing fruit, cake or chocolate in the staffroom, and encouraging random acts of kindness between staff members. Good staff wellbeing is essential for cultivating a mentally healthy school, for motivating staff in challenging times and for promoting pupil wellbeing and attainment.

If you would like to contact Noreen in relation to this article, you can do so by email to NColl@stkiliansjns.ie