Teacher Wellbeing Matters!
Grounded in research that explores flourishing schools and positive educational leadership, this book advocates for much more attention on teacher wellbeing. Offering a blend of theory and practice, this book is written to engage teachers, groups of teachers, and school leaders in conversations that help make sense of the often overwhelming demands inherent in teaching, the accompanying challenges of these realities, and their impacts on teachers’ wellbeing. The authors argue that as teachers foster the wellbeing of their students, they must ensure that their own self-care is a professional priority.
What educator would not want to work in flourishing school environment? However, changing the narrative about the realities of teaching is no easy task, especially when much of what is we read are the unrelenting workloads, selfdoubt, stress, and burnout teachers experience. Fortunately, Cherkowski and Walker provide a blueprint for reframing the narrative about teacher wellbeing, focusing on how growth mindsets, appreciative inquiry, hope, and resilience can sustain a flourishing school culture. Teachers and administrators who are inspired to “up their game” to thrive in schools should read and reflect on the ideas in this book.
Bruce Barnett, Professor Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Sabre and Keith have invited us to imagine workplaces in which we thrive, and that support the flourishing of the other adults and young people who inhabit these school spaces as well. They note that too many educators have become weary in their “well-doing,” and thus extend an invitation for us to explore educator “wellbeing.”
Megan Tschannen-Moran, Professor of Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership at the College of William and Mary’s School of Education