STRATEGIES TO THRIVE cate time for teachers to prioritize and engage in their specified self-care activities . It is not enough to share these tools with teachers ; teachers also need to receive the messaging and know it is possible to interface with these tools and establish self-care routines . To do this , it can help if mentor teachers and teacher educators check in regularly with teachers about their plans and talk through strategies if certain activities are falling to the wayside or become difficult to fit in . Additionally , schoolwide efforts should be undertaken to build in dedicated time for these types of activities and practices . A holistic and systemic approach to teacher well-being and self-care is needed to ensure teachers develop and maintain these practices and approaches in their lives .
Conclusion
The transition into teaching can be a challenging time . First-year independent school teachers , in particular , struggle with feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome , disempowerment , lack of belonging , and overwhelm — feelings that catalyze a downward spiral of low motivation , burnout , and eventually leaving the profession . My hope in sharing my research findings is to provide greater insight into the experiences of early career teachers in independent school settings and offer teachers a bit of solace if they too are struggling in their transition to teaching . Remembering to take a self-compassionate approach toward this transition can be supportive .
For those reading this who are teacher educators , mentors , or school administrators , I encourage you to focus on and bring heightened attention to supporting the psychological , emotional , and physical dimensions of teachers ’ lives in the transition to teaching . Teachers need to receive the messaging from schools and teacher education / induction programs that wellbeing and self-care are a priority . Regardless of the approach , simply bringing greater attention to the well-being of teachers and prioritizing their self-care early on can set them up for greater flourishing in teaching and support the well-being of their students as a result . •
Works Cited
Please visit www . csee . org / page / BaelenWC for the complete works cited of this article .
Dr . Baelen is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois Chicago . Her research interests center around the design , implementation , and testing of brief socialpsychological and contemplative interventions to bolster teacher and student well-being . She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania , where her dissertation involved the design and testing of a brief self-compassion intervention to support teachers in the transition to teaching .
CSEE Connections Fall 2022 Page 27