It is important for directors and program administrators to lead the way when it comes to incorporating self-care. “Burn out” is a huge issue in the education field and leads to high turnover rates among teachers. Encouraging staff members, children, and even parents to practice self-care can benefit everyone. That being said, being responsible for a program full of staff and students can be incredibly stressful, so it is just as important for directors and program administrators to practice self-care.
We highly recommend using a variety of methods to encourage self-care. You can share articles, books, videos, or professional development courses, such as the one offered by CCEI (PROF100: Stress Management for Child Care Providers). Once employees have had the chance to review the materials, hold discussions about the benefits that self-care would bring to the program, obstacles to the practice of self-care, and what you can do to support self-care practices. Some of the ways you can encourage and support self-care are:
- Consider guided meditation or yoga before opening for the day
- Incentivize teachers for self-care practices
- Provide bonuses or gifts that are self-care related
- Track self-care activities on a bulletin board on the staff lounge (here is a staff Self-Care Bingo to try)
- Share self-care reminders and strategies via social media or email
- When time allows offer a duty free lunch or recess time
- Encourage teachers to recognize the good in each other
- Give teachers the opportunity to journal about the school day for themselves not to be turned in or evaluated
- Handle issues with compassion
These are just a couple of suggestions of how directors and school administrators could support their staff and encourage their self-care practices. Again it is important to keep in mind that self-care is important for everyone, so take a moment to evaluate your self-care practices, and even consider encouraging the parents to do the same.
For the main article Self-Care, CLICK HERE
For the article What is Self-Care?, CLICK HERE
For the article How Can I Practice More Self-Care?, CLICK HERE
For the article How Can I Help My Students Practice Self-Care?, CLICK HERE
