For most people, January signals a fresh start, ripe with new intentions. For educators, that moment arrives months earlier when the academic year begins. Nevertheless, January is still a good time to check in with your teachers and staff about how you can continue to support their overall well-being. The academic year is midway through and post-holiday, some may feel worn down heading into the second part of the school year. A calendar reset is an opportunity to feel hopeful and energized
Here are a few ideas to keep your employee well-being strategy moving (and improving) through the second half of the school year.
Create a well-being space for educators
Get a jump on spring cleaning and dedicate a clear space, whether it be indoors with a corner or an office or outdoors, where educators can take a mindful break during the day. It doesn’t have to be a lot of work, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Check out our how-to guide and tips for creating well-being spaces.
Add Healthy Boundary Setting to your next professional development or staff meeting agenda
Setting and maintaining boundaries is a key element of well-being and can help staff feel empowered. Use this worksheet to support your teachers and staff with identifies where they can set a boundary for their own well-being.
According to a report from the U.S. Surgeon General, “When leaders and supervisors set, respect, and model clear boundaries between time on and off the job, without penalizing workers for this flexibility needed, workers report a greater sense of well‑being.”
Revisit individual and collective workloads
The Surgeon General’s report also includes a Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, and work-life harmony makes the list. According to the research, the ability to integrate work and non-work demands rests on the human needs of autonomy and flexibility. While schools and classrooms don’t always have the same flexibility as other professions, it’s important for educators to explore where they can make choices that support them at home and in the classroom. Use these guides to help your teams manage individual and collective workloads.
While the beginning of the academic year marks the true beginning for educators, the start of a new calendar year still offers a valuable moment to pause, reflect, and reset. As the academic year reaches its midpoint and energy may be wearing thin, January can serve as an opportunity to revisit intentions set in the fall and to renew commitments to teacher and staff well-being. By making small, practical adjustments, school leaders can help sustain well-being and momentum through the winter months and beyond.
Visit the Thriving Schools website and our resources to find out more about how (and why) supporting teacher and staff well-being helps retain teachers and staff, reduce stress and boost job satisfaction.
Have other ways you’re supporting staff well-being throughout the school year? We want to know! Share your tips and best practices on X (thrivingschools) or contact us directly!
