Educators are Resilient, Everyday Heroes

We close our 9th school year with only an increase in regard for the resilience of our public school educators. This work is hard. Public school educators have chosen this hard. So many of the educators we work with not only survive, they thrive! Every day we are inspired by educators who actively engage in their work, creating, connecting, and constantly expanding who they are and what they offer. Despite the hardships of the work they do, they are able to find opportunities. They maintain their commitments, and in their work with TeachWell, they expand the sphere of their care to include the staff at their schools, because they know, as we do, that the wellbeing of educators is fundamental to the success of their students.

On May 12th, my amazing TeachWell team of Alejandro, Katie, and Shyla facilitated the Wellness Ambassador Assembly to honor the efforts of this year's Wellness Ambassadors. Since training in October, teams of Wellness Ambassadors have implemented efforts focused on Adult Social Emotional Literacy and Educator Wellbeing at individual school sites and across entire districts. What is striking about this group of Ambassadors is the way in which each worked within their unique role, navigating the constraints and resources of their institution to create meaningful opportunities for their staff. Projects ranged from Professional Learning Communities centered on adult SEL and peer-to-peer connection, developing wellness spaces for adults on campus, gratitude walls for staff that reflect school pride and culture, and a commitment to Responsive Leadership practices that carve out intentional, focused time for reflection, planning, and strategizing school climate and culture initiatives.

This is a unique group of educators who have CHOSEN to engage as Ambassadors. Over the years, we have come to recognize the importance of this choice. We respect that educators also need space to "not be well." We understand that for some educators, their energy is consumed by just getting through the day-to-day reality of working in our public schools, where trauma is part of the ethos, systemic inequities are unmasked, and their work and their students' lives are politicized. There are times when we need to honor and hold space for the negativity of their thoughts and emotions, without imposing optimism or bypassing the weight of what makes their work hard.

We have come to understand that both can be true. On any given campus or across any district, there will be staff who need people who can sit compassionately with their hardship. And there will be staff who are ready to carry the banner of possibility, stay present, integrate gratitude, elevate joy, and shift the narrative to resilience. The Ambassadors we have worked with this year shine in this light. We salute them as everyday heroes and inspiring examples of resilience in the face of adversity and hard work.

Team TeachWell delivers another fantastic session at our Wellness Ambassadors’ Assembly