In October, our partners at the Georgia State Health Benefit Plan gathered nearly 150 people from multiple Atlanta metro area school districts and community organizations at the new Gas South Convention Center in Duluth, Ga. These education leaders came together for a day of learning and connection as they focused on fostering mental well-being for their teachers and staff.
Kaiser Permanente was proud to help play a role in creating an environment specifically designed to increase awareness and recognize the challenges teachers and school staff face, and the impact on their health and well-being.
There was a lot of learning to be had, given the wide range of expertise and professional backgrounds in the room. Participants included school administrators, school nurses, teachers, safety resource officers, and school counselors. Here are some of those important takeaways for anyone in a school space looking to improve health and well-being for staff:
- Mental health matters. While it is no surprise here, it was palpable how focused educators are on this topic – for their students, and for themselves. Trauma-informed, healing centered approaches in school environments continue to be at the top of minds.
- Get right to the resources. With limited time, educators want to cut straight to the point. They know what they need and are looking for resources that will help them. A few resources that were shared included: The Kaiser Permanente Community Support Hub, Mental Fitness in the Workplace, Resilience in School Environments Understanding and Practice (RISE UP) Workshops, and all of our no-cost Thriving Schools resources.
- Show, don’t tell. As a workforce health consultant, I talk to employers every day about well-being in their workplace, and the most useful conversations are the ones that share examples of what others are doing successfully for their employees. Even better? Creating connections where folks can share with each other directly and learn from their peers.
If you are leading a wellness team, consider these learnings. After many years working with school communities, I know one of the most important things school leaders can do is focus on teacher and staff mental well-being. In education, the idea of “putting your oxygen mask on first” reminds us that teachers and leaders must prioritize their own well-being and growth before they can effectively support students.
When educators take time for self-care, professional development, and emotional regulation, they create the capacity to show up fully for their classrooms. By modeling balance and resilience, they not only sustain themselves but also teach students valuable life skills. When schools and districts support the whole person and the things they need to be healthy and happy, school employees feel their best while they live out their passion for education.
Visit the Thriving Schools website 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.
