I have always been interested in the topic of teacher well-being, as my kids attend public school and I am grateful for the education opportunities they have.  I have studied prevention science and come to understand that the school system, and teachers in particular, play a huge role in the well-being of students and in protecting them from increased risk of addiction, abuse, and suicide.  As these issues threaten our young adult population at alarming levels, my thoughts turned to how to do more to prevent these issues upstream.  After a collaboration with InFocus Education Group in my role as Prevention Coordinator, we realized that one way to better serve our youth was to improve the well-being of their teachers.  If teachers can better understand how to care for themselves and model social and emotional skills, we can improve student learning in academic, social, and emotional areas. 

This project focused on the core competency of leadership in the field of public education.  The Teacher Well-Being Course was the first of its kind that offered teachers an avenue to address their well-being as well as offering professional continuing education credit.  Teachers feel overwhelmed and are leaving their field in large numbers, which is not conducive to a positive public education system.  Validating their struggles, offering tools to improve their life, and respecting them as professionals is the first step in reducing teacher burnout.    I was also able to improve my communication skills as I partnered with InFOcus Education Group and taught the class to teachers throughout the state.  Best practices and a code of ethics were critical to creating a safe environment where we could all learn from each other. 

This experience utilized what I have learned in Human Resources and Critical Thinking and Ethics classes.  In creating a training, or class, for anyone, the importance of subject matter and applying the learning to what they are doing to make their time effective and meaningful was a large lesson from the HR class.  I had that in mind as I decided what to include in the class discussions and in the asynchronous assignments.  There were obstacles to overcome and ethics to keep in mind as I worked with such a diverse group of teachers throughout the state. 

Moving into the role of High School Teacher, this experience helped prepare me to not only teach others more effectively but also understand the demands and struggles of being a teacher and how to address my own well-being.  Being able to hear from teachers across the state was the best preparation for the next adventure in my career.  Collaboration and the sharing of ideas are so important to open opportunities to grow and create an environment of connection, which is critical to learning.