Multimedia

Intensive Supports for Educator Well-Being

Group of teachers in a classroom collaborating on a project.
Group of teachers in a classroom collaborating on a project.

This audiocast and accompanying brief from Beyond SEL at WestEd highlights the teacher well-being practices of Van Ness Elementary School in Washington, DC. To reduce teacher turnover and to cultivate the conditions necessary for students to learn, founding principal Cynthia Robinson-Rivers provides insight into how Van Ness has created a healthy, sustainable work culture for educators. These practices include community partnerships that allow for voluntary, no-cost therapy sessions available to teachers during the school day, personalized professional development aligned to growth needs and interests, and pairing lead teachers with an assistant or partner teacher who provides breaks and who supports classroom management and instruction.