Why Prioritising Educator Well-Being is key

As educators, we often overlook our own well-being in the pursuit of providing the best care and education for children. However, neglecting our own well-being can have serious consequences, including burnout, stress, and even mental health issues. Child Australia understands the importance of supporting educators and provides an interactive workshop to support well-being development as a team called “What about Well-being?”.

Through this interactive workshop we collaborate to uncover what we consider when talking about “health and well-being”, by exploring the five ways to well-being, and also by brainstorming strategies for looking out for ourselves and each other. This is all done through a series of engaging activities and discussions. The “What about Wellbeing?” workshop is a great opportunity for educators to take a step back from their busy roles as caregivers and to recognise the importance of caring for themselves too.

The study by Ng, Rogers and McNamara emphasizes the importance of positive professional relationships, peer support and mentoring as protective factor in preventing burnout because educators felt like they were not alone when experiencing challenges. Supporting the well-being of educators is crucial to the success of the early education and care sector as burnout also leads to a high turnover rate of educators and, potentially, poor educational outcomes for young children. By investing in our own well-being, we can better support the children in our care and provide nurturing and positive learning environments.

“Educators from services where there was little or no focus on well-being were more likely to report burnout.”

Recent research by Ng, Rogers & McNamara (2023) looks at why early childhood educators are burning out and how to fix this. Finding solutions that work for you and your organisation is crucial as the high rates of turnover and burnout among early childhood educators, means a sustainable career in the sector is becoming more out of reach. Let us support you and your team in your well-being journey!

Call us today via 1300 66 11 64 and speak to our consultants or check out the workshop to find out more.

Find a summary of the findings here in this article from The Conversation.

– By Trina Bourke, Child Australia Professional Practice Consultant

References:

Ng, Rogers & McNamara. (2023). Early childhood educator’s burnout: A systematic review of the determinants and effectiveness of interventions. www.iier.org.au/iier33/ng.pdf

Rogers, M. (2023). Early educators around the world feel burnt out and devalued. Here’s how we can help. https://theconversation.com/early-educators-around-the-world-feel-burnt-out-and-devalued-heres-how-we-can-help-202513