Teacher well-being and the missing piece of the puzzle: rethinking support to teachers in contexts of conflict, crisis and fragility

Group Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop

Proposal

Workshop rationale:
Teachers play an instrumental role in ensuring their classrooms are safe and secure environments that promote the mental, physical and psycho-social well-being of their students (Dryden-Peterson, 2011; Shriberg, 2007). Evidence shows that teacher well-being is deeply connected to the quality of their work - when teachers are able to manage their stress and find the support they need, they are better prepared to create a protective, safe, and constructive learning environment where children can achieve positive learning outcomes (Becker et al., 2017; CESE, 2014; Jennings et al, 2017; Schonert-Reichl, 2017).

In many crisis contexts teachers are working in complex classrooms with minimal support, training, supervision, materials, or compensation, while also dealing with their own experiences of trauma and displacement. Despite the recognition of the significant role teachers play in supporting the well-being and development of their learners, little attention (programmatic/research) has been paid to teachers’ own well-being in these challenging settings.

In recent years, there has rightly been growing attention on the social-emotional well-being of students (Riggs, Dody, and Davison, 2016). However, without sufficient support to teachers, the impact of this will be restricted (Riggs, Dody, and Davison, 2016). An evidence-based framework for teacher well-being in crisis contexts, supported by a variety of concrete strategies and resources, is urgently needed in order to bridge this gap and transform support to teachers and learners in the some of the world’s toughest classrooms.

Real change will require a collective approach across the sector, framed within the INEE Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response and Recovery. This workshop will therefore bring together colleagues from across the sector to drive forward this important agenda. The workshop will be held in collaboration with:
- The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (specifically the Teachers in Crisis Contexts Collaborative, and the Psychosocial Support and Socio-Emotional Learning Collaborative)
- The Education in Crisis & Conflict Network (ECCN) Socio-Emotional Learning task team, and,
- The Education Equity Research Initiative - Fragility Work Stream

Workshop objectives:
During the pre-conference workshop, participants will:
- Build a shared, evidence-based understanding of what we mean by ‘teacher well-being’ in Education in Emergencies
- Develop an evidence-based framework for teacher well-being and map existing tools and research against this
- Collaborate on new resources to better support well-being including; teacher professional development resources, measurement tools, policy messaging, and a research agenda focusing on equity.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Workshop Organizers

• Paul Frisoli, FHI 360

• Julia Finder Johna, Save the Children

• Charlotte Louise Bergin, Save the Children

• Amy Parker, Relief International

• Minna Peltola, Finn Church Aid