New Year, Same Responsibilities? 

It’s been a fabulous rollercoaster ride, and it’s done. We’ve said goodbye to 2024 in a celebration ritual and waved our old self goodbye. It’s time for 2025 “new year, new me” to take over and conquer the world. 

That’s…until January 3rd. When the realisation starts to kick in. We will soon be back in our tiny classrooms, ready to inspire young, bright minds with new ambitions and fresh energy for the year ahead. 

Or are we really ready? 

Among every other job category where people dread returning to work after a long period of holiday, teachers are among the unluckiest ones. 

Why, you ask? Because, while all the rest of us can return to work not-so-ready to tackle the year or gradually get back to our routine, teachers must be ready.

They have to show up with a smile on their face, a lesson plan ready, and have it all figured out. 

But… When are they supposed to figure it “all out” if, during the holiday season, we’re all sitting around watching emotional movies and baking cookies with our families? 

That’s right. 

Why Teacher Wellbeing Matters Now, More Than Ever

As generations change, so do workforce expectations, job industries, and everything else around us. Just try to imagine telling our great-great grandparents about jobs like “AI content moderator” or “Tiktok Ads specialist”. 

Yes, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. 

We want our teachers to be passionate, involved, evolving with the requirements and ready to teach the next generations. 

It’s not just students and next generations that have to keep up with all the changes & evolution – it’s teachers as well. As they are the ones guiding the students towards their futures. 

Teachers deserve and NEED more

A study published by the National Education Association (2020) found that teachers in the US are paid, on average, between 2% and 33% less than other college-educated workers. 

In Europe, the situation is not more favourable either. In 2023, there were teacher strikes in countries like England or Hungary, protesting low pay wages, threatening an already fragile situation facing teacher shortages across various countries. 

See for reference a chart published by Euronews featuring annual gross starting salaries for teachers in Europe during 2020 and 2021:

Overwhelming requirements & non-existent work-life balance

However, teachers’ challenges do not stop with wage issues. If that were true, maybe 55% of educators would not be thinking about leaving their profession early. 

So what causes teachers to reach that point of desperation where they decide, “This is it”? 

In March 2023, BBC published an article that claimed that some teachers work over 12 hours a day, according to a leaked report. 

12 hours! That is 4 hours longer than a normal person would usually be required to work. 

In four hours, you could watch two of your favourite movies. Or read several chapters of a book you’ve been meaning to finish. You could attend a yoga class, go for a long walk, and still have time for a relaxing bath in the evening. 

Four extra hours every day adds up to over 20 additional hours a week. Which is more than half of another full-time job.

How could teachers not be overwhelmed? 

If they had to choose, they would probably work regular hours. But with a workload that’s becoming consistently heavier each year, many of them do not really have a choice.

During our webinar that we organised in December dedicated to teachers’ wellbeing, we asked our participants to describe how they felt regarding their job during the last 3 months. 

The results came as no surprise to us:

Teachers need to Thrive, not just Survive

By now, you probably might have heard that teachers’ wellbeing directly impacts the “health” of a classroom. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental wellness as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.”

For many teachers, though, ‘wellbeing’ is a term gathering dust on the back shelf of their mental dictionaries.

Effects of Teacher wellbeing on Students & school Life

Yes, it might seem pretty obvious that a happy teacher is more engaged, passionate and determined to inspire their students.

But going beyond that, there are studies that show that: 

• the positive emotional state of teachers can increase student cognition, effort 
• and long-term retention of information (research source) 
• better teacher wellbeing is associated with better student wellbeing and lower student psychological difficulties (source)
• educator wellness directly affects education quality (source) 
• teacher wellbeing affects student achievement (source)
• you can’t have a healthy school climate without prioritising teacher wellbeing (source)

There are probably more studies if you want to dive deep into the subject, but we can already draw one conclusion. Teacher wellbeing is crucial for a healthy, thriving school environment. 

So, what do teachers need in order to thrive?

Teachers are, first of all, human beings before anything else. They have basic human needs like sleep, food, affection, time off, socialising, etc. 

In the hunt for tools and legislation to implement to make teachers’ lives easier, we often forget about one thing: we can start small. 

Regular Humans. Basic Needs

In an interview with EdSurge, authors Timothy Kanold and Tina Boogren (authors of Wellness Solutions for Educators) relate teacher wellbeing to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

 

Firstly, we can talk about Physiological needs. These include food, sleep, movement, etc. They directly impact our mental wellness and must be prioritised above all means. 

Second, there are the Mental needs, which, if we relate to the WHO’s definition of mental wellness, include decision, balance and self-efficacy.

For educators, this translates into having:

• the mental clarity to handle classroom challenges 
• the emotional stability to balance work and personal life
• the confidence to trust that they are making a meaningful impact in their students’ lives

In the third dimension, the authors talk about the Emotional needs of teachers. These are awareness, understanding, and mindfulness. 

“We need an awareness of our emotions, an understanding of where those emotions come from and the mindfulness to respond rather than react.” – Tina Boogren 

Lastly, in the fourth dimension, there are the Social needs. These are needs that ground us in our personal lives and being human with those around us. 

For example, we need trust to form relationships and have a purpose. Not just as professionals but also as human beings. 

It’s easy to lose track of who we are and what we need while getting caught up in the hustle work culture we’re currently experiencing. But this can also lead to severe burnout and loss of joy in what we do. 

How can schools help? 

Schools must try to create pleasant work environments and conditions that pay attention to the primary needs of teachers. 

As opposed to the belief that schools should focus primarily on students, they should strive to create a perfect balance between being a safe place of learning and working. 

It is teachers that are the pillars of every good school. We know that pillars are usually the ones holding up and offering support. 

Still, if pillars are unpolished and uncared for long periods of time, they can very quickly weaken and crumble… threatening the stability of the entire structure.

Make wellbeing a priority

We already know that teachers don’t have time for wellbeing. So, create the space for them! 

We oftentimes like to assume what wellbeing means for others or go with the usual norm. 

Yes, free coffee at work and having a casual Friday probably helps boost the morale of some employees. But you cannot say you’ve “solved wellbeing” if that’s all you’re doing for your teachers. 

Build a Teacher-Centric Culture

Hold meetings, send out group surveys, and learn directly from your teachers what benefits would make their lives easier. 

Some schools start with basic policies that can seem insignificant but can have a huge indirect impact on staff wellbeing.

One of those examples is setting boundaries with parents. Some parents email after working hours, and others want to chat on the phone over the weekend. 

For some teachers it might be difficult to say no, in fear of disappointing the family or poorly representing the school. 

To avoid putting your teachers in situations like these, you should have processes and rules that are in favour of your teachers. 

Offer them a day off on their birthday! Yes, 1 day of lost coursework can be caught up with during the rest of the year, and the world will not end. 

Support systems 

Every school that considers wellbeing a priority has support systems in place both for students and faculty. 

Research proves that having just 1 or 2 support persons in the school can make a huge difference in the emotional wellbeing of your teachers. 

Some schools might choose to implement practices like circles, coaching sessions for teachers & faculty, accountability-partner systems, or other different approaches. 

There are countless ways in which you can show your teachers that you care about them as professionals and human beings too. 

Just start somewhere. 

No need to do it all by yourself 

If you lack inspiration or just simply do not have the time or bandwidth to implement a wellbeing framework in your school, no worries. 

There are services and businesses out there that can guide you or do it for you.

For example, at Spark Generation, we place a great emphasis on teacher wellbeing. 

In December, we organised Spark Joy Day, an initiative to cherish and reward the great teachers who inspire and give their best day by day.

50 lucky Cambridge high school teachers were chosen to enjoy the benefits of Spark Generation and will get support in their teaching journeys throughout 2025 and for the rest of their teaching careers. (yes, for as long as they teach) 

What we do for teacher wellbeing at Spark

Our wellbeing framework for teachers includes things like: 

• Unlimited access to the Spark Generation learning platform with ready-to-use lesson plans and assignments to save at least 2 hours/day on preparation
• AI Assistant to simplify grading and feedback, giving teachers 50% more time for personalised student support
• Comprehensive student progress tracking—no need for time-consuming individual check-ins, time back for self-care instead 
• Ready-to-use assignments to expand the course offering without extra prep time
• Bi-monthly teacher wellbeing circles for connection and resilience-building
• Monthly workshops with expert speakers on teacher, student, and parent wellbeing
• Exclusive AI trainings and mentoring sessions 
• Recognition programs and a Wellbeing Certificate honouring the teacher’s growth and openness to continuous development

If you want to implement a wellbeing framework in your school but don’t know where to start, get in touch with us. 

We’d love to analyse your school’s current state & processes and craft up a plan that will ensure all your faculty and staff feel cared for. 

Teacher Wellbeing is not a “nice to have” anymore. It’s a must. 

Let’s make 2025’s New Year’s resolution to better care for our teachers. 

Don’t be afraid to help your teachers grow. Your school will grow with them.

 

Teacher Wellbeing – key questions and thoughts: 

 

1. Why is teacher wellbeing so important for schools?

Teacher wellbeing is crucial for schools because it directly impacts the overall school climate, student achievement, and education quality. Studies show that when teachers are happy and supported, they are more engaged and effective. This leads to better student outcomes and a healthier school environment.

2. What challenges are teachers currently facing that affect their wellbeing?

Teachers often deal with heavy workloads, lack of work-life balance, and insufficient pay. Many work over 12 hours daily, leaving little time for rest, personal growth, or family. These challenges and increasing job demands contribute to high levels of stress and burnout among teachers. Many even leave the education field earlier than planned. 

3. How can schools support teachers’ wellbeing?

Schools can start by implementing practices such as:

• Asking their teachers directly and listening to their needs. Inquire through surveys,  meetings, group discussions, etc. 
• Simple policies, such as setting boundaries with parents or offering birthday leave.
• Support systems like mentoring programs, coaching sessions, and wellbeing circles.

4. What if schools don’t have the resources to build a teacher wellbeing framework?

If schools need support in creating a wellbeing framework, they can partner with services like Spark Generation. We offer tailored solutions such as AI tools to save teachers time, wellbeing workshops, and resilience-building activities to ensure faculty feel supported and valued.