Enhancing Teacher Wellness: Supporting and Retaining Teaching Professionals

Enhancing Teacher Wellness: Supporting and Retaining Teaching Professionals. Rachel Matthews, 2025: Strategic Research Project, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: attrition, compassionate leadership, principal training, stress management, teacher burnout, teacher well-being, workplace support This strategic research project was designed to evaluate the operation of a K-12 public school district for whom a pseudonym was used for privacy reasons. Strategic planning is essential to organizational success and leaders benefit from having reliable tools to assist in decision-making. East-end School District (a pseudonym) was systematically studied and what emerged were recommended actions where district leaders could reduce teacher stress and burnout. Challenges brought on by the global teacher shortage highlighted the pressing need to combat the phenomenon proactively. Rational emotive stress management was identified as a tool schools could use to combat stress and burnout among teachers. Rational emotive stress behavior therapy has been successfully used in high-stress careers including schools. This and principal support positively affect teacher performance and well-being. The selected strategy was primarily focused on principal training. A detailed action plan was crafted to illustrate how principals could participate in a structured program to improve empathy and coping skills to coach teachers. The action plan included the specific actions to be taken, those responsible for carrying out various aspects of the plan, a recommended timeline, necessary resources, and desired outcomes for each major action. Effectively supporting teachers enhances their capacity to perform proficiently and leads to positive student outcomes. Recommendations for execution include using the curriculum and materials referenced in the research. In addition, attention should be given to the most appropriate time to begin training, so as not to disrupt the learning environment.