THE IMPACT OF WELLNESS PROGRAMS ON TEACHER STRESS AND COPING

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of ten secondary-level educators and their perceptions of work-related stress and wellness programs as a coping mechanism. Participants were middle and high school teachers in one school district in the Pacific Northwest that has a wellness program. Through semi-structured interviews, it employs a transcendental phenomenological analysis to merge participants’ experiences with Lazarus and Folkman’s (1987) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. The research underscores the need for systemic changes to address teacher stress and well-being before wellness programs can serve as an effective coping mechanism. Critical themes found are High Workload and Time Constraints, Physical and Emotional Strain, Isolation and Need for Community, Changing Student Behavior and Mental Health Challenges Post-COVID-19, Positive Impact of Socially Oriented Wellness Programs, Wellness Programs as an Underutilized or Inconsistent Resource, Suggestions for Improvement, and Needs for Administrative and District Support. These themes emphasize the pervasive issue of stress on teacher well-being. The findings call for systemic reforms in education to address the epidemic of stress impacting teacher health.