Teacher Wellbeing – The Most Important Piece in Education’s Puzzle

Children have their shining moments, but let’s be honest, they’re exhausting. Now imagine managing thirty of them at once, seven hours a day, five days a week, while shaping their futures and keeping up with ever-shifting government targets. That’s the daily reality for teachers. Despite carrying one of society’s most important responsibilities, teachers often sit at the bottom of the wellbeing ladder. It’s time to recognise that a thriving education system isn’t built on data or league tables, it’s built on the people who stand at the front of the classroom and teach our societal values.

The Hidden Cost of ‘Getting the Job Done’

Teaching has always been demanding, but in recent years it’s become increasingly unsustainable. Workloads have ballooned, administrative tasks multiply by the week and accountability measures can feel relentless. The result? Exhaustion, frustration and a steady trickle of passionate professionals closing the classroom door behind them as they leave the profession. The irony is that ultimately we know exactly what’s needed for change. Teachers don’t need another themed wellbeing day or a fruit basket in the staffroom. They need meaningful change… fair pay, time to plan and leadership that understands the human cost of such a pressured environment.

Leading with Care, Not Control

Leadership sets the tone. In schools where wellbeing is taken seriously, it shows through the everyday demonstrated actions of trust and respect. Leaders who genuinely care create environments where staff feel seen and heard. They ask how people are coping and actually listen to the answer. Prioritising wellbeing doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means recognising that excellence isn’t sustainable without balance. The most effective schools are often those where reflection and professional dialogue are a key aspect of the timetable, not crammed into an after-school meeting when everyone’s running on fumes. Regular supervision, peer support and coaching should be as normal as lesson planning.

Time…The Real Wellbeing Currency

If there’s one thing teachers crave when you listen to what they need, it’s time, time to think, time to plan and time to breathe. Yet many feel caught in a constant race against the clock. Innovating timetables to include protected space for preparation or recovery would go a long way toward restoring balance. A ‘ten-paid-nine-worked’ model, for example, where teachers are paid for ten days but work nine, with one dedicated to planning or professional growth can seriously improve morale and I’ve seen that first hand. It signals respect for the complexity of teaching and acknowledges that creativity needs space to flourish. Then there’s paperwork…If a task doesn’t directly benefit learning or development, why is it there? Reducing unnecessary administration is one of the simplest, most effective ways to support staff and it costs nothing but thought.

A Culture of Trust, Not Surveillance

For wellbeing to work, teachers must feel safe to be honest. Too many schools still run on a culture of scrutiny rather than support. When teachers worry about being judged for every minor misstep, they stop taking risks, stop sharing ideas and start a downward spiral. Contrast that with schools where collaboration is encouraged and mistakes are treated as opportunities to learn. Here, mentoring and peer observation aren’t tools for ‘quality control’ but for connection. The result is not only happier teachers but more engaged students, because funnily enough, authenticity breeds energy and positive energy is contagious.

Remember Who the Key Workers Really Are

During the pandemic, the term ‘key worker’ became part of our national vocabulary. Albeit somewhere along the way, we seem to have forgotten that the people who educate the next generation are key workers too. Teaching requires constant attention, empathy and emotional energy. You can’t switch off halfway through a lesson or mute the class when things get tough. If society truly valued the role teachers play, we’d see it reflected in policy, pay and public discourse.

Putting People Before Performance

When teachers feel trusted, supported and given room to develop, they stay. Not out of obligation, but because the work feels meaningful. When teachers thrive, schools thrive, creating ripple effects that touch every child, every classroom and the community it serves. That is the emotion the latest government TV campaign to recruit teachers is playing on. Therefore, wellbeing in education simply isn’t a side project, its essential progress. We can’t expect children to flourish in systems where the adults are running on empty. The real measure of a great school isn’t just its results… it’s how well it looks after the people who make those results possible.

Jonathan Williams, Health & Wellbeing Consultant