by Chris Llewellyn
Introduction: The Shift Toward Teacher Well-being
Well-being, a catchphrase that influences discussions in all aspects of contemporary life. In education, for years the lens has been squarely focused on our students and their learning needs. One could argue that this lens has become hyper-focused on students, especially in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. However, while focusing our attention on our students, which no leader would ever say is a negative, we may have simultaneously lost focus in another key aspect of student success, teacher well-being. After all, as leaders we have limited resources, and we are always looking for the best ways to allocate these with the shifting paradigm of education.
The Impact of Teacher Well-being on Student Success
Teacher well-being has become a hot topic this year. In fact, the International Baccalaureate (IB) has recently released a research summary on the very topic titled Wellbeing for School Teachers (2024). In this research, IB identifies that “the impact of teacher well-being is so important to the functioning of a school that it should be one of the first factors considered when looking to improve well-being (citation)” This is a bold statement and one that as an educational leader I whole-heartedly agree with. One of my foundational tenets as a leader is that teachers are the driving force for any learning in a building. Hattie identified this in his work seeing Teacher Efficacy as one of the highest-scored aspects that impacts learning, with leadership far down the line (Hattie, 2008). A humbling read for any educational leader.
When I first read this in Hattie’s work, however, I took a pause and reflected on my role. At the time I was a new leader and it seemed so obvious to me that the greatest impact on a student is the adult that occupies the majority of that student’s time at school. My role as a leader then needs to reflect this understanding, so how do I measure my impact on learning? What role do I play to ensure the teachers I work with are able to have the greatest impact, to feel self-efficacy and satisfaction in the work they do? ‘
Reflecting on Leadership and Teacher Impact
For me, the answers to this required me to delve deep into myself and understand who I was as a leader. What are my core values and how do these translate into my practice, and eventually the practices of my team? As an educational leader, we can often become overburdened with the day-to-day task of keeping a school running and ensuring that we are filling the administrative aspects of our role. When I speak with other leaders it is rare that they speak to these as the passion that drives them in their role. None of us pursued educational leadership with these tasks in mind. It is crucial then to take the time to reflect on and understand the driving force for our decision to lead.
As both an educator and guidance counsellor, I have always grounded my practice in relationships. I live by this as a leader as well. Relationships are the bedrock that any educational institute worth its salt is built upon. As a leader, it is essential that we develop relationships with our teams both as professionals but also as human beings. We often discuss, in professional development, the ideal classroom environment for students to learn, but I believe we need to take those same principles and apply them to our teaching teams as well. As educators we strive to develop student voice and as leaders we must strive to give space to teacher voice as well, and to be prepared to listen. Then authentically reflect on what has been said and enter a discourse to decide what is to be done. All of this requires leaders to establish a culture of trust and integrity, two other cornerstones of my personal leadership philosophy.
Trust, Integrity, and School Culture
With trust and integrity as a leader we can establish the relationships required to engage in the discussions that are necessary to address teacher wellbeing in our schools. The IB research resulted in a framework for this work, and I appreciate this framework because it is not prescriptive, but it is flexible and open enough to accommodate any context. The goal of the framework is for leaders and schools to identify the key aspects of teachers, and I would extend this to all staff, well-being.
At the center of the framework lies teacher job satisfaction, which resonates with Hattie’s work with a focus on teacher efficacy. Teachers find job satisfaction when they feel they are having an impact on their students. As leaders we need to help teachers tap into their own educational philosophies and ensure they are aligning their practice in a fashion that allows them to find this satisfaction and to feel that their work matters in the lives of their students. For me, this satisfaction manifests in my own personal understanding and implementation of service leadership.
Job Satisfaction and Service Leadership
As a leader, I firmly believe it is my job to remove obstacles for my team so they can pursue their own excellence. I operate from an understanding that there is incredible value in all our team members’ decisions to be present, at this time and place, alongside me in the pursuit of academic and educational excellence. We are all doing our best and it is my job to identify and assist in finding ways to overcome or remove the hurdles that hinder a team members ability to be the best version of themselves in their chosen profession.
As Ryno Engelke explored in his Improving Wellbeing Through Leadership recently in the Leading Your International school Principal’s Blog #84, wellbeing is broad in its scope and can include a multitude of life hurdles that are directly, indirectly, or, at times, not at all related to education and their journey as an educator. It does require me as a leader to understand why they are an educator, to gain insight into what they desire to pursue with passion, then to assist them in the implementation. To me, this is the essence of service leadership, whether it involves clearing a lunch tray, finding the right professional development, or just a sincere expression of concern and understanding at the end of a hard day. We never know the impact those small gestures may have, and we need to be cognizant of how those small acts nudge and move a school’s culture towards one of teacher wellbeing.
One small example this year is captured in the removal of hurdles for a young incredibly talented leader in our community. She is a recent addition to the team, as am I, and the opportunity came across my desk to promote her talents and set her up for success. Through a few simple emails and a recommendation, she is now leading a cross Asia professional learning community and is doing an incredible job. The hurdle here was simply removed by acting on behalf of another with no concern or agenda for self. The definition of service leadership.
The IB Framework for Teacher Well-being
The IB framework then builds out from this satisfaction in a multitude of avenues in which to engage your team in the process of improving teacher well-being. The IB research identifies the most essential aspect to be teacher voice, this will be the greatest tool in identifying which aspect of this framework is most important given your school’s individual context. As with all frameworks, it will need to be shaped and moulded by your team to effectively serve your community. However, as with any essential problem, a guiding framework gives us all a place to start. It is a conversation that is crucially needed, and the time is now.
How will you start the conversation and keep it moving forward in your context? What parts of the framework are you already servicing and where are the gaps in your building? How will you give an authentic voice to your team?
If you have these or other questions, or if you would like to write a Principal’s Blog, email: andre@leadingyourinternationalschool.com
Chris Llewellyn is Vice Principal MYP, Canadian International School of Hefei
Next week’s blog is written by by Amy Lucas, Principal, Scholastic International School Myanmar – SISM
References
Engelke, R. (2024, October 13). Improving Wellbeing Through Leadership. Leading your international school. https://principalsblog.leadingyourinternationalschool.com/wellbeing/improving-wellbeing-through-leadership/
Hattie, J. a. C. (2008). Visible Learning: a synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses relating to Achievement. https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/11343/31622/1/281182_161493.pdf
Taylor, L., Zhou, W., Boyle, L., Funk, S., & De Neve, J-E. (2024). Wellbeing for Schoolteachers (Report No. 2). International Baccalaureate Organization.
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