Healthy Staffroom, Healthy Classroom

Abstract

Huge numbers of school staff members are expressing that they are feeling trapped and unsupported in their jobs, educator pipelines from colleges and universities are drying up, and extraordinary numbers of existing staff are indicating that they plan to leave the profession within the next five years. Educator wellness is no longer something that can be left to chance, dismissed as each staff member's personal business and responsibility. School leaders must be prepared to address staff wellness immediately if they hope to retain current staff and recruit future staff in an increasingly competitive job market. Educator wellness must be prioritized, with clear goals, allocated funds, and purposeful discussions leading to consequential outcomes. Using examples from a four-year-old Healthy Staffroom, Healthy Classroom staff wellness initiative, this chapter makes the case for staff wellness programs and provides a road map to educators and school leaders eager to do something to help improve their staff's well-being.