By Kelly Hannaghan

It can be hard to see the light in what feels like dark times in education with our schools struggling with rising costs, reports of recruitment issues and increased needs. The ‘new normal’ has been replaced with ‘new uncertainties’ which leave the economic systems within education feeling threatened.

Over the years the term ‘wellbeing’ has become a white noise. The bombardment of news, aims and resources reaching our in-trays waters down the true intent and impact that a holistic learning environment can have on outcomes.

Every single thing we do is to ensure there is a possibility of a bright future for our future generation, and the people who serve this learning experience often feel undervalued and underappreciated. So how can we continue to deliver this mission, by re-thinking wellbeing and placing this purposefully, at the heart of education?

As educators we are adaptive in our approaches to serving others and have been busy getting on with what needs to be done, despite the ever-increasing stressors, but it seems the focus right now needs to be on creating an ethos and community that respects and values the importance of relationships and staying well in uncertain and challenging times.

How Can We Take a Different Viewpoint on Wellbeing?

• Create an emotionally safe environment with reflective supervision, where the people in the community support the community. We are dealing with heightened emotional projections that can often manifest into secondary trauma and compassion fatigue. Having an emotional backstop, someone to offload to, will avoid the risk of contaminating our wellbeing. Take a look at our cost-effective training Reflective Supervision Facilitator Training for Schools and Settings.
• Embed a sustainable culture where everyone feels seen, heard and celebrated. I work with schools and settings to develop a meaningful process in auditing and measuring people’s wellbeing, you can contact me via email wellbeing@theeducationpeople.org to explore how I can help you and your setting.
• Prioritise personal and professional development. This is key for helping people recognise their strengths and qualities and increases knowledge and resources to support whole setting wellbeing. Here is our latest training offer (please click on the title for further course information):

What will be the same is our desire to do the very best for the children, young people and the families we work with, alongside ensuring the people who work in education stay engaged, committed and feel valued. The fusion of the two will create the inspiration and commitment that has always driven the work we do.