How to Make Teaching Sustainable: 2025 State of the American Teacher Survey

To Make Teaching Sustainable, Help Teachers Balance Work and Personal Demands: A new RAND State of the American Teacher report out today focuses on trends in teacher well-being, especially among women, who make up three-quarters of the teaching workforce. The authors found that poor work-life balance, specifically a lack of job flexibility and more job intrusion, is highly correlated with poor well-being, and that teachers were consistently more likely than similar working adults to report experiencing multiple job flexibility and job intrusion challenges. https://lnkd.in/eB2mhYDF

Dixons Academies Trust introduces nine-day fortnight for teachers with improvements recognised in wellbeing, morale, work-life balance and interest from potential recruits. https://lnkd.in/edtPgkp2 #employment #teachers #worklife

Wellbeing is on a rapid, concerning decline in education. Reclaiming balance is a must in order for the educators to have sustainable wellbeing. 1. Set clear work hours - Treat your own time as respectfully as you treat your timetable. 2. Schedule rest- Literally write 'rest' into your diary. Protect it as fiercely as you would a lesson observation. 3. Detach guilt from rest - Rest is not a reward for working hard. Rest is a requirement for thinking clearly. 4. Use your voice - If workload expectations are unreasonable, speak up - respectfully but firmly. 5. Unplug regularly - Digital boundaries matter. 6. Reclaim joy outside of work - pursue hobbies, laughter, relationships, movement. You are not only an educator. You are a human being. #wellbeing #education #mentalhealth

⟁ THE CLASSROOM BREATHES WHAT THE STAFFROOM FEELS When teachers are overworked, undervalued, or unheard, students learn those same lessons. Here’s why teacher wellbeing isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation of every thriving classroom. Walk into any school and you can feel it before you see it, the climate. It’s not the décor or the displays that shape it, but the energy in the room. A teacher who feels supported radiates stability. A teacher who feels silenced radiates tension. That’s the invisible equation we so often ignore: teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. You cannot separate the two and still expect genuine growth. Every classroom reflects the adults who hold it. If those adults are stretched beyond capacity, the learning environment inevitably cracks. When teachers face relentless pressure, excessive workloads, unclear expectations, constant accountability, students absorb that stress in subtle ways: shorter tempers, less patience, lower creative risk-taking. A burnt-out teacher can still deliver lessons, but they can’t inspire them. Students learn emotional regulation by watching how we regulate. They learn communication through how we speak to them and to each other. They learn balance through how we live the job. If teachers are rewarded for self-sacrifice over sustainability, we teach children that burnout equals worth. If we silence teachers’ voices, we teach children that power belongs elsewhere. If we undervalue teacher wellbeing, we teach that compassion is optional. Leaders don’t just set the tone, they hold the air. When leaders create psychological safety, teachers take emotional risks. When teachers take emotional risks, students take intellectual ones. The real wellbeing domino effect isn’t yoga mats and fruit bowls. It’s trust, consistency, and clarity. Teacher wellbeing isn’t a luxury. It’s a safeguarding measure. It’s a strategic lever for outcomes. It’s the difference between surviving the term and sustaining a career. If we want classrooms where students feel seen, we must build workplaces where teachers are seen. If we want calm corridors, we must protect calm staffrooms. If we want compassion in teaching, we must design systems that allow it to exist. This isn’t radical. It’s relational. Every child deserves a teacher who can care without collapsing. Students don’t just learn curriculum, they learn culture. And culture begins with how we treat the people who teach. So let’s rewrite the equation: Healthy teachers = healthy learners. Protected teachers = protected children. Valued teachers = valuable futures. Let’s lead schools where boundaries, breath, and belonging are built in, not bolted on. Teacher wellbeing is not a perk. It’s the platform on which every child stands. #Education #Leadership #Safeguarding #TeacherWellbeing #RBMSuverkropMethod #TheSecondChanceClassroom #TheBoundaryMethod #ThePresenceMethod

⟁ THE CLASSROOM BREATHES WHAT THE STAFFROOM FEELS When teachers are overworked, undervalued, or unheard, students learn those same lessons. Here’s why teacher wellbeing isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation of every thriving classroom. Walk into any school and you can feel it before you see it, the climate. It’s not the décor or the displays that shape it, but the energy in the room. A teacher who feels supported radiates stability. A teacher who feels silenced radiates tension. That’s the invisible equation we so often ignore: teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. You cannot separate the two and still expect genuine growth. Every classroom reflects the adults who hold it. If those adults are stretched beyond capacity, the learning environment inevitably cracks. When teachers face relentless pressure, excessive workloads, unclear expectations, constant accountability, students absorb that stress in subtle ways: shorter tempers, less patience, lower creative risk-taking. A burnt-out teacher can still deliver lessons, but they can’t inspire them. Students learn emotional regulation by watching how we regulate. They learn communication through how we speak to them and to each other. They learn balance through how we live the job. If teachers are rewarded for self-sacrifice over sustainability, we teach children that burnout equals worth. If we silence teachers’ voices, we teach children that power belongs elsewhere. If we undervalue teacher wellbeing, we teach that compassion is optional. Leaders don’t just set the tone, they hold the air. When leaders create psychological safety, teachers take emotional risks. When teachers take emotional risks, students take intellectual ones. The real wellbeing domino effect isn’t yoga mats and fruit bowls. It’s trust, consistency, and clarity. Teacher wellbeing isn’t a luxury. It’s a safeguarding measure. It’s a strategic lever for outcomes. It’s the difference between surviving the term and sustaining a career. If we want classrooms where students feel seen, we must build workplaces where teachers are seen. If we want calm corridors, we must protect calm staffrooms. If we want compassion in teaching, we must design systems that allow it to exist. This isn’t radical. It’s relational. Every child deserves a teacher who can care without collapsing. Students don’t just learn curriculum, they learn culture. And culture begins with how we treat the people who teach. So let’s rewrite the equation: Healthy teachers = healthy learners. Protected teachers = protected children. Valued teachers = valuable futures. Let’s lead schools where boundaries, breath, and belonging are built in, not bolted on. Teacher wellbeing is not a perk. It’s the platform on which every child stands. #Education #Leadership #Safeguarding #TeacherWellbeing #RBMSuverkropMethod #TheSecondChanceClassroom #TheBoundaryMethod #ThePresenceMethod

⟁ THE CLASSROOM BREATHES WHAT THE STAFFROOM FEELS When teachers are overworked, undervalued, or unheard, students learn those same lessons. Here’s why teacher wellbeing isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation of every thriving classroom. Walk into any school and you can feel it before you see it, the climate. It’s not the décor or the displays that shape it, but the energy in the room. A teacher who feels supported radiates stability. A teacher who feels silenced radiates tension. That’s the invisible equation we so often ignore: teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. You cannot separate the two and still expect genuine growth. Every classroom reflects the adults who hold it. If those adults are stretched beyond capacity, the learning environment inevitably cracks. When teachers face relentless pressure, excessive workloads, unclear expectations, constant accountability, students absorb that stress in subtle ways: shorter tempers, less patience, lower creative risk-taking. A burnt-out teacher can still deliver lessons, but they can’t inspire them. Students learn emotional regulation by watching how we regulate. They learn communication through how we speak to them and to each other. They learn balance through how we live the job. If teachers are rewarded for self-sacrifice over sustainability, we teach children that burnout equals worth. If we silence teachers’ voices, we teach children that power belongs elsewhere. If we undervalue teacher wellbeing, we teach that compassion is optional. Leaders don’t just set the tone, they hold the air. When leaders create psychological safety, teachers take emotional risks. When teachers take emotional risks, students take intellectual ones. The real wellbeing domino effect isn’t yoga mats and fruit bowls. It’s trust, consistency, and clarity. Teacher wellbeing isn’t a luxury. It’s a safeguarding measure. It’s a strategic lever for outcomes. It’s the difference between surviving the term and sustaining a career. If we want classrooms where students feel seen, we must build workplaces where teachers are seen. If we want calm corridors, we must protect calm staffrooms. If we want compassion in teaching, we must design systems that allow it to exist. This isn’t radical. It’s relational. Every child deserves a teacher who can care without collapsing. Students don’t just learn curriculum, they learn culture. And culture begins with how we treat the people who teach. So let’s rewrite the equation: Healthy teachers = healthy learners. Protected teachers = protected children. Valued teachers = valuable futures. Let’s lead schools where boundaries, breath, and belonging are built in, not bolted on. Teacher wellbeing is not a perk. It’s the platform on which every child stands. #Education #Leadership #Safeguarding #TeacherWellbeing #RBMSuverkropMethod #TheSecondChanceClassroom #TheBoundaryMethod #ThePresenceMethod

**Rethinking School Hours: A Case for Better Work-Life Balance in Sri Lankan Education** As Sri Lankan teachers voice concerns about proposed changes to school timings, it's worth examining how current schedules impact families and exploring solutions that benefit students, parents, and educators alike. **Current Challenges:** The existing 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM school schedule creates significant challenges for working families. Parents must wake as early as 4:00 AM to prepare children, with many students missing breakfast or adequate sleep—particularly those traveling long distances. The early start time forces mothers to begin their day at dawn, while the 1:30 PM dismissal requires parents to leave work mid-afternoon, disrupting productivity and incurring additional transportation costs. **A Balanced Approach:** Aligning school hours more closely with standard office schedules (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM) could create meaningful benefits: • **Morning flexibility:** A 9:00 AM start would allow families a more relaxed morning routine, ensuring children are well-rested and fed, while enabling parents to drop students off en route to work • **Afternoon coordination:** A 3:00 PM dismissal would align with typical work schedules, reducing mid-day disruptions and unnecessary trips while easing traffic congestion • **Enhanced teaching quality:** Teachers arriving at 8:00 AM could welcome students warmly and dedicate time to thoughtful lesson preparation, while those staying until 4:00 PM could plan ahead and supervise students awaiting pickup **Professional Commitment:** Like all professionals working standard 8-4 schedules, teachers' commitment during school hours—complemented by generous vacation periods and annual leave—would demonstrate dedication to developing well-rounded citizens. This flexibility and professional responsibility are essential investments in our nation's future. Teachers undoubtedly provide invaluable service to our nation. By thoughtfully reconsidering school timings, we can create a system that better serves students' wellbeing, supports parents' professional responsibilities, and honors educators' crucial role—ultimately contributing to a more prosperous and harmonious society. #Education #WorkLifeBalance #SriLanka #EducationReform #TeachingExcellence

At Education Support, we’ve taken a fresh look at teacher retention, through the lens of workplace wellbeing. 📄 Full report here: https://lnkd.in/e-7Mi79b This evidence-based report outlines: - Why teacher retention is critical to educational quality and equity - The cost of attrition to public finances and pupil outcomes - A framework of 12 workplace wellbeing drivers to guide change - Practical recommendations for government, employers, and school leaders You can also read more about it in Gemma Scotchers Schools Week op-ed: https://lnkd.in/eKKHFf_B

The "Good Job" Paradox: What a Banned Kindergarten Word Taught Me About Workplace Validation Picture this: A kindergarten teacher stands before a classroom, a neon "GOOD SEEN" sign glowing behind her, as children eagerly raise their hands seeking approval. Except there's a twist—the phrase "good job" has been banned from her vocabulary. Sounds dystopian? It's actually brilliant. When that school removed this "harmless" two-word phrase from their classroom, they accidentally conducted the most revealing workplace experiment since the invention of the annual performance review. What they discovered wasn't just about children's development—it was a mirror held up to every office, every team meeting, every anxiety-ridden email chain where we're desperately waiting for someone to tell us we're doing okay. Here's what the research revealed: Our need for external validation doesn't start at our first job. It doesn't begin when we post our first LinkedIn update or send our first project deliverable up the chain. It starts in kindergarten, when "good job" becomes the psychological equivalent of a participation trophy—cheap, abundant, and ultimately meaningless. The problem? We never outgrew it. Think about your last win at work. Did you feel genuinely satisfied, or did you immediately wonder if your manager noticed? Did you celebrate the achievement itself, or did you refresh your inbox waiting for the validation email? Be honest—how many times have you done excellent work only to feel deflated because nobody said "good job"? This is the addiction the kindergarten teacher was trying to break: the dopamine loop of external praise that turns us into approval-seeking machines rather than intrinsically motivated humans. When every small action gets a "good job," we stop developing internal compasses for quality. We stop asking "Am I proud of this?" and start asking "Will this get me praised?" When you remove "good job" from the vocabulary, children start evaluating their own work. "I'm proud of how I solved this." "This part didn't work, but I learned something." They develop the ability to assess and understand their own thinking and performance. They become self-directed learners instead of praise-seeking performers. The workplace parallel is striking. The most resilient professionals I know aren't the ones who get the most praise—they're the ones who've developed robust internal metrics for success. They know when they've done excellent work, regardless of whether anyone notices. They can receive criticism without spiraling because their self-worth isn't entirely outsourced to others' opinions.