by Martina Meneghtti
What keeps a school leader up at night?
If teachers’ wellbeing is not at least in the top 5 answers, there may be a problem.
Research suggests that stressful working environments and challenging working conditions affect teachers’ motivation, which in turn affects teaching quality. Conversely, teachers with high levels of wellbeing are likely to report higher levels of self-efficacy and job satisfaction.
Teachers are increasingly expected to perform new tasks, while working conditions and processes are rapidly changing. In some markets, salary and benefits are also being adjusted to reflect changed economic conditions. We know that teachers play a crucial role in students’ lives, and yet their work is becoming more demanding and stressful. If we want to protect the quality of a school, the first mission should be protecting the physical and mental wellbeing of our faculty. In a period when more and more teachers are considering leaving the profession, and at the same time, new schools are being opened around the world requiring qualified teachers, a key success factor is the quality of the faculty and being able to retain that talent. Teachers will stay if they feel valued, supported, rewarded and not overworked. Consequently, happy teachers will make sure students learn, grow and feel a sense of belonging to the school community.
The Engagement-Wellbeing Matrix
There is a strong relationship between employee engagement and wellbeing; when both are high, we can see the best outcomes, with motivated and happy teachers focused on developing and nurturing students. When only one of these two dimensions are high, retention may not be an immediate risk, but the quality of their work will be significantly impacted. Happy teachers who don’t feel engaged won’t go the extra mile, and unhappy teachers who are pushing through are at high risk of burnout. When wellbeing and engagement are both missing, the teacher is highly likely to leave.
Finding the right balance is crucial, and more and more schools are including these topics in the conversation. There are several drivers of wellbeing and engagementwhere a one-size-fits-all approach is impossible, for example:
– Salary and benefits
– Realistic job preview
– Onboarding
– Opportunities for professional learning and growth
– Career pathwaysWork/life balance
– Supportive managersSupportive colleagues
– Transformational leadersPerformance management and recognition
Even When Drivers Are in Place, Wellbeing Isn’t Automatic
Even when these drivers are present, wellbeing doesn’t automatically follow. So what does genuine wellbeing actually look like in practice?
I would argue that wellbeing cannot be targeted just with one initiative, but it should be embedded in the school culture and part of the school strategic objectives. The annual school party is always great fun, but it won’t solve the retention issue and when everyone sobers up, they soon realize nothing has changed and they are still burnt out.
And yet, HR and principals often work on wellbeing in silos. It is easy to think that HR and Principals have two different roles to fulfill, but only when these stakeholders work together that we can really see the benefits for the community.
The Silo Problem
Typically, HR holds the system (EAP, sick leave, PD budgets, exit interviews, surveys), and principals have the first-hand relationship and context (important dates, stressful periods).
Neither owns wellbeing alone. But together, they have the whole picture and can identify patterns before they become a crisis. Interviews, focus groups and surveys are a good starting point, but data without context and analytical skills is useless.
HR departments are structured very differently in each school, but HR professionals can offer a wider range of expertise than just processing visas and payrolls. HR professionals have a deep understanding of the system and the data, and they often have expertise in talent management, relationship management competency, ethical and inclusion competency, communication, learning and development, organizational effectiveness and development.
Principals or academic leadership have the direct relationship and direct knowledge of the context and environment, in addition to teaching and learning, leadership skills and attributes. If these two functions work together, they will have a much stronger lever to pull when it comes to building a culture of wellbeing and work satisfaction.
HR can create policies that are mindful of employees’ needs and workload. Leadership that is transformational, which is characterized by positive influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration, can be very effective in mitigating teacher burnout. Supervisors can be trained in people-centered management style and constructive feedback. Timetables can be organized to integrate appropriate break time for all staff.
A sudden increase in sick leave in a department can suggest action is required, and a conversation between HR and principal can help figure out the root cause, while HR can in turn provide the principal with a list of resources available to share with the faculty. HR can train in conflict resolution skills or facilitate and mediate staff meetings when necessary.
What Can This Partnership Look Like?Here is an example of how this could work in practice:
Principal notices some teachers seem less engaged during busy periods. They flag this generally to HR (no names needed) as a pattern they are seeing across the department.HR checks exit interview data, survey trends, and EAP usage for the last few years to see if this is isolated or systemic.Together they decide whether to offer a workshop, adjust meeting schedules, or check in with department heads.HR provides resources and follow-up systems. The principal provides context and trust.
Of course, HR and principals can’t do this alone. School boards and owners must see wellbeing not as a cost, but as a retention investment; HR and principals should be honest with each other about what they can and cannot control. And where possible, they should make the business case for wellbeing together.
From Good Intentions to Integrated Practice
As in most cases, this doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel and it’s likely that most schools will have some of this already in place. But they don’t always work seamlessly together as an integrated function. In large international schools, there is always something going on and leaders, faculty and staff are busy teaching, managing, organizing, meeting, and firefighting. A systemic process with inputs from all stakeholders should ensure that they hold each other accountable to address engagement and wellbeing. That also means modeling wellbeing in our everyday practice,a school that talks about balance but expects its leaders to be martyrs will be seen as performative, while leaders should also be ready to live by the same standards as much as possible. When all the stakeholders work together to create policies and strategies, share information and resources, the school community can really thrive.
A Closing ChallengeSo here is my challenge to school leaders reading this:
When did you last sit down with your HR, not to approve a hire or process a leave request, but to talk about teacher wellbeing as a strategic priority?
If you can’t remember, that is not a failure. It is a signal. And signals are easier to act on than crises.
Book that coffee. Share that data. Build that bridge. Chances are something very valuable will come out of it.
Martina Meneghetti, HR Talent Acquisition and Retention, Shanghai American School
LYIS is proud to partner with WildChina Education