“I'm Making a Difference and Growing with Them”: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Flourishing

• In Event: Supporting, Sustaining, and Retaining Teachers in the Profession

Abstract

Teaching through a pandemic, political ire directed at teachers, and moral panics playing out in classrooms and in school board meetings have hurt the teaching profession and impacted the mental health and well-being of teachers. These challenges have increased the need for school leadership to focus on teachers’ mental health and well-being. One pathway to explore teacher well-being is through flourishing. Flourishing can be understood as optimal professional and personal well-being. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 39 teachers in their first five years in one school district to explore how they experienced flourishing in their schools and to explore what they believe teachers need for flourishing. We detail our findings in the below.

Authors

• Peter Bjorklund, University of California - San Diego

• Jennifer Karnopp, San Diego State University