The imperative for inclusion: Why teachers must be at the center of wellbeing policy and programming

• In Event: Equity in School Outcomes through Practice

Proposal

Teachers are often excluded from discussions and decisions that affect their work. Teacher wellbeing initiatives are created without the active participation and the voice of teachers. They follow a top-down approach that is incompatible with local norms and needs, limiting teacher buy-in and program efficacy. There is, however, a growing imperative in national and international discourse to prioritize and center teacher wellbeing globally and particularly for teachers working in emergency settings since the onset and compounding impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Addressing the above stated issues, this paper draws on, synthesizes, and expands upon the data and subsequent reports/literature from the Teacher Wellbeing in Emergency Settings ToolKit Project commissioned by INEE and funded by Education Cannot Wait. The project aimed to identify existing resources and create new guidance and tools to support teacher wellbeing at the nexus of conflict, displacement, and COVID19. The research team collected and mapped online resources that addressed teacher wellbeing onto a matrix capturing the aspects of INEE’s teacher wellbeing conceptual framework (Falk et al., 2019). We then conducted semi-structured interviews with a diverse range of stakeholders, including academics, field partners, representatives from international non-governmental organizations, and mental health and psychosocial support specialists. We next disseminated an online teacher questionnaire in INEE’s 5 core languages to over 1,000 teachers working in diverse emergency settings. Finally, the team organized online consultation workshops with teachers, school leaders, members of non-governmental organizations, policymakers, donors, and researchers around the world to devise, design, and develop the Guidance Note on Teacher Wellbeing in Emergency Settings.
Drawing on and analyzing our projects’ respective findings, this paper argues that as an end unto itself, from policy through to practice, school systems should position teachers and teacher wellbeing at the center of crisis response and recovery efforts. As we will describe, this can be achieved through the co-creation and implementation of contextually responsive teacher wellbeing efforts that fully involve teachers as agents of their own mental health and wellbeing needs; the creation of enabling environments for teachers through relevant professional development opportunities and professional social networks which promote collaboration and connection with different stakeholders, including peers, school leadership, students, researchers, stakeholders, and other community members; and the improvement of teacher compensation packages to reflect monetary and non-monetary benefits, including consistent and reliable base remuneration and allowances, housing, medical care, professional development opportunities, parental leaves, and others.

Authors

• Samaya Mansour, Columbia University Teachers College

• Chris J Henderson, Teachers College, Columbia University