Structural Supports to Promote Teacher Well-Being. Brief No. 19

This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. It addresses one central question: What does the research say about structural supports that enable teacher well-being? In order to answer this question, the brief breaks down the issue into three points: (1) Burnout and demoralization are meaningfully different forms of work dissatisfaction that each affect teachers' ability to do their jobs and influence decisions to remain in the profession; (2) System and school conditions contribute to or buffer against demoralization and burnout in ways that directly affect the lives of both teachers and students; and (3) Evidence is growing that the pandemic has increased demoralization and burnout among many teachers. Based on these points, the brief provides six strategies to consider and two strategies to avoid. [This brief was co-prepared by Bowdoin College.]