You’re Good, I’m Good, We’re All Good: Teacher Well-being in an Elementary School During Change

• In Event: Staying, Leaving, and Thriving: The Complex Realities of Teaching

Abstract

The current political climate, public ire directed at teachers, and moral panics playing out in school board meetings have 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. In this paper we explore the relationship between the well-being of the school community and the individual well-being of educators in the school. Using data from educators in nine schools in an elementary school district (n=232) we found a positive relationship between community well-being and individual well-being. Our results underscore the notion that well-being is not solely an individual endeavor and more attention should be paid to the health and well-being of the school community.

Authors

• Jennifer Karnopp, San Diego State University

• Peter Bjorklund, University of California - San Diego