How Educator Well-Being Ignites School-Wide Change

School-wide change can start with you...YES, you!! 

Let’s explore why we strongly believe in emphasizing and encouraging individual well-being—and we do not mean offering a single workshop for staff and expecting it to magically transform the school!

Our lived experiences and life lessons shape our behavior, mindset, and life’s course. If we empower individual educators to discover tools that transform their physical and mental health, their voices will become more amplified, strengthened, and passionate in their efforts to improve education. The insights they gain from exploring their own well-being will spark ideas that have the potential to transform individual classrooms, schools, districts, and education as a whole.

Let’s say that educators receive a well-deserved salary increase, something many have fought for. When this finally happens, educators may feel a weight lifted and experience a sense of relief. However, as they continue with their typical day-to-day routines, they quickly realize that more money does not necessarily mean less stress in the classroom. While some might argue that knowing they are being paid fairly can help them maintain their patience, something crucial is still missing.

For example, when their sympathetic nervous system activates due to rampant student misbehavior that day, a higher paycheck does not help them navigate the “fight or flight” response. Or, maybe their schedule changes to ensure a shared planning period, yet they are still running out of steam by noon because they, unknowingly, are eating foods that continually spike their blood sugar, which, in turn, causes consistent irritability and exhaustion.

Another example is that if your school finally makes changes to the curriculum, you might feel relief, excitement, and a sense of a “fresh start.” However, if someone is accustomed to waking up in a negative mood, simply thinking about this curriculum shift won’t be enough to change that mindset on its own. If that person is equipped with meaningful strategies to consistently monitor and reflect on their mindset, they will be better able to cultivate a sense of optimism and purpose. 

The individuals who understand the impact of educator well-being on school-wide changes are, quite simply, those who have experienced these shifts themselves. In other words, when someone reflects on and learns what directly affects their physical, mental, and emotional health, they gain a deeper awareness of the changes that should also take place at their school or district level.

The Whole Teacher journey is about discovering what simple shifts (at school and home) spark the most significant change in your daily experiences. These shirts ignite a deep understanding of how well-being can be enhanced in your own classroom, in your co-workers’ lives, and in your school as a whole. Whole Teachers become advocates for changes that prioritize well-being in their classrooms, their schools, and their districts because they have experienced the power of well-being in their own daily experiences.

Anne Frank wrote, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” The ripple effects that occur when one educator prioritizes their own well-being are profound—those ripples, fueled by their positivity and energy, can inspire their students, co-workers, and even administrators to shift their own daily experiences. These personal changes have the power to ignite fresh, exciting, and uplifting change within classrooms, schools, and even districts, making education a more sustainable environment for everyone. Just imagine the power of all these ripples spreading through schools across the country. There is no denying the impact of individual well-being in sparking system-wide change.

So, let’s continue to empower individual educators, while also advocating for systemic changes that educators and educators so deserve. THAT is how we transform the future of education.