Reflecting on supporting teacher well-being

Science leaders are often the first person that their staff will come to when a problem arises and being able to respond positively and supportively to well-being issues will be beneficial to the well-being of the person concerned. As this toolkit shows, there are a number of techniques that can be used to support and promote well-being within the staff in your department, however, managing well-being is complex as many factors are not within a science leader’s control. In addition, if your well-being needs are not being met, it may be necessary to ask another member of the department to take on a more supporting role within the department.

In addition to this toolkit there are three more considerations to ensure that you are able to manage your own well-being, manage the expectations of others and know when to pass responsibility onto your own leaders.

Managing expectations of others

Well-being is also a personal responsibility and science leaders need to encourage and promote good working practices. When offering support, a science leader should avoid ‘over-promising’. Acknowledge the concern, show understanding and offer practical support, but also acknowledge the responsibilities of an individual, be forward looking and be clear of the boundaries, eg In this situation we can make this change, but what, if anything, can we do to avoid this situation in the future? When signposting, ensure that the member of staff knows that it is their responsibility to follow up the support suggested.

Your zone of responsibility

Recognise when it is necessary to pass on some of the responsibility and don’t feel that you need to solve a problem alone. Science Leaders should have the support of their line manager, and peers who lead other subjects can also be a useful support. If you are unsure of offering specific support to a member of staff then liaise with your line manager, and if a member of staff is not responding to your support or the situation becomes more serious, escalate the situation to someone more senior.

Difficult conversations

There are sometimes situations where teacher competence falls below expectations and managerial interventions need to be employed. In these situations, the staff member concerned may feel stressed and feel that the actions are detrimental to their well-being. This comes down to managing expectations of well-being. Staff are expected to manage their own well-being to a large extent and part of that is asking for support when needed. Science leaders may be able to make reasonable adjustments in the short, medium or long term, but the staff member still needs to be able to fulfil their role adequately. When dealing with staff competence, science leaders will need to be supported by more senior staff members.

Finally

Teachers’ well-being is an important factor in job satisfaction and retention, and it can be challenging for a science leader to support the well-being of the staff they manage. This toolkit provides practical advice for how a science leader can promote and support the self-care and well-being of their staff, from encouraging a culture open to discussion about well-being through to making reasonable, specific adjustments for those individuals going through stressful times. Science leaders cannot solve all the issues that individuals have to deal with, but these resources will help foster a culture focused on well-being so everyone is best placed when issues arise.