3 Ways a Staff Culture Can Support the Humanity of its Teachers
I get a little fiery about this subject, so buckle up.
Being able to use the bathroom, rest when you are sick, and eat regular, healthy meals are all basic human rights.
If a student didn’t have access to these, it would be seen as a major violation.
So why, when teachers bond over the shared suffering of holding their pee all day, of coming into school sick because it’s easier than writing a sub plan, and of skipping lunch to attend a last minute meeting, do we accept these as silly little inevitabilities of the teaching profession?
As an educator, I saw all three of these slowly become a normalized part of our staff culture - we would come in sick and we would hold our pee, and there would be judgement on any teacher who didn’t follow suit. This culture harmed each and every one of us.
If your staff culture is approaching that place, I want to be a voice to remind that it’s NOT normal, ignoring physical needs WILL lead to feelings of burnout AND…it’s not any one teacher’s fault.
Teachers (for the most part) don’t choose to abandon the needs of their bodies for their work. They often just don’t see another option.
Below, find 3 ways a STAFF CULTURE can support the physical wellbeing of its individual teachers.
These solutions aren’t perfect, and you might need to sit with your team to brainstorm unique solutions for your school structure, but we’ve got to start the conversation somewhere.
Your physical needs matter. The physical needs of the teacher across the hall from you matter. It’s by ignoring these needs that burnout starts to become a problem. It’s by taking care of ourselves and our neighbors that burnout can be prevented.
3 Ways a Staff Culture Can Support the Humanity of its Teachers.
I.
Be proactive about creating a bathroom break system. As a health coach for educators, many of my clients have struggled staying hydrated during the school day simply because they are worried they won’t have time to use the restroom. Set up a bathroom break system as a team by:
Plan coverage so teachers can use the bathroom in emergencies. Can a trusted student (depending on age) monitor the class for 5 minutes? Can admin or someone from the teaching team step in?
If it is a school-wide issue, get a team together to make adjustments to the daily schedule to allow for longer breaks between classes where teachers can use the restroom.
Create a staff culture where teachers know taking little steps to meet their physical needs helps to prevent burnout - and that when they take the bathroom break as individuals it isn’t selfish because it normalizes other teachers reaching out for coverage to do the same.
Discourage negative comments or attitudes toward teachers who reach out for support to take a bathroom break. Reinforce that when a teacher provides coverage for someone it opens the door for that teacher to more comfortably ask for coverage when they need it.
II.
Support teachers so they can take sick days when they need them. It is very common for teachers to go into school when sick for a number of reasons. But I’ve seen symptoms worsen, and teachers even hospitalized because they kept working when sick. Here are just a few ways a staff culture can help teachers take sick days when they need them:
Have an effective sub plan in place, that teachers agree with and can feel confident in.
Discourage resentful comments among staff when someone calls out sick. Encourage compassionate words, recognizing that mental and physical illness can affect any of us when we least expect it.
Have teachers write lessons ahead of time OR have teacher teams write and share lesson plans with each other so those plans can easily be shared with a sub without extra lift from the sick teacher.
Make mental and physical wellbeing a priority of the staff culture so that teachers don’t feel guilt when they need a day to take care of themselves.
III.
Respect lunch breaks/planning periods. A common response I get when I ask teachers what would make their day easier, is actually having full use of their lunch and planning period. Here are just a few things a staff culture can do to respect these times:
As a staff culture, talk about the importance of taking breaks during the day to eat a balanced meal and take a brain break (adults need them too!).
Resolve as a team to practice taking that lunch break to socialize and eat, so that it’s normalized among staff.
As a community, resolve to avoid scheduling meetings during planning periods and lunch times.
2 Quotes from Others
I.
“When you’re hustling, hustle with all you got. When you’re sick, stop. Let it happen. Your body is trying to tell you something. Listen to it.” - Gary Vaynerchuk
II.
“Never make a decision when you need to pee.” - Leonard Cohen
1 Question For You
When can your team come together to talk through some of these physical wellbeing violations? How do you think talking these through could benefit your school culture?
Make sure to share this week’s 3-2-1 with an educator you care about :)
Until next week,
Emily Hemmingson
Health Coach for Teachers
Founder of The Teacher Wellness Center
Access ALL of Our Burnout Prevention Resources in One Place!
Worksheets, video series and archived workshops for individual teachers and school communities seeking resources for their educators.
STAY CONNECTED WITH OUR TEACHER 3-2-1 NEWSLETTER
Thank you for taking a moment to join me, and for giving yourself a moment to consider your needs this school week. You can get actionable ideas each week in my popular email Teacher 3-2-1 newsletter. Each week, I share 3 burnout prevention ideas, 2 quotes from others, and 1 wellness question to think about. Thousands of teachers are already subscribed. Enter your email below to join the community!