EDUCATION
Fortifying the Mental Health of the Entire School Community with Emotional Intelligence
Wellbeing program at St. Peter’s Primary replenishes reserves post-COVID: ‘Truly life changing for many of our staff,’ say school leaders.
By Michael Miller
Facing extraordinary high levels of stress and burnout in the aftermath of the pandemic, school leaders at St. Peter’s Primary in Croydon, UK decided to invest in a mental health and wellbeing program for its staff and members of the school community.
The result? Higher engagement, better conflict management, and a more caring culture.
“This year, as a school, we have taken part in a wellbeing program which has proven to be truly life changing for many of our staff,” wrote Co-Heads of St. Peter’s Primary Samantha Sandle and Caroline Bariball. “The program provided a wealth of support and strategies for us to make positive changes in all areas of our lives – both in work and at home.”
In the emotional recession, do educators stand alone?
All over the world, people are suffering. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has entered an emotional recession. Global averages for emotional intelligence and wellbeing have declined more than 5% since 2019 – and burnout is on the rise in most industries. But no industry, except probably healthcare, faced as many challenges as education in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. Extended school closures led to students returning to school having been severely impacted in their academic and social emotional development, chronic absenteeism soared, and educator mental health suffered. Teaching was already considered among the most stressful professions, and the pandemic exacerbated job-related stress and accelerated burnout.
Research from the RAND Corporation in 2022 painted a bleak picture of the state of educator mental health compared to the general population. Here’s a few of the striking figures:
- Teachers and school leaders were more than twice as likely to be stressed as other working adults. Almost three quarters (73%) of teachers and 85% of principals said they experienced frequent job related stress, compared with 35% among adults in other occupations. This confirms research from the European Working Conditions Survey which found that teachers present higher levels of stress, anxiety, fatigue or sleeping problems when compared to other professions as a whole.
- Educators were also more likely to suffer from burnout or depression than the general working population.
- Wellbeing was especially poor among Hispanic/Latinx teachers, mid-career teachers, and female teachers and principals.
- 1 in 3 teachers and principals say they are likely to leave their current job by the end of this school year, as increased pressure as a result of pandemic takes its toll on well-being
“The impact of the pandemic on teachers and education staff has highlighted the need for greater mental health support and resources to help them cope with these challenges,” said Jennifer King, the lead researcher and an assistant professor and co-director of the Trauma Center at Case Western Reserve University.
Noticing these troubling trends in its own classrooms, the Co-Heads of School at St. Peter’s Primary decided they’d seen enough, and launched a comprehensive wellbeing program focused on equipping staff with emotional intelligence skills to take care of themselves and each other better – and ultimately, the students and their families.
Wellbeing program success fueled by increases in emotional intelligence
St. Peter’s partnered with Lisa Allen, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Islanda and a trained EQ Practitioner with Six Seconds, to design a multifaceted, multiyear wellbeing program. While focused primarily on staff in inset training, 1:1 and small group coaching sessions, the program also included workshops for parents on topics like managing anxiety and conflict and student-led wellbeing initiatives.
The positive effects have rippled throughout the school community. “Since taking part in the program many of our staff have reported a significant improvement in overall wellbeing, feeling more energized, focused, and balanced as well as developing healthy habits,” Co-Head Samantha Sandle says.
A core part of the program consisted of staff taking the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence assessment (SEI), participating in 1:1 coaching sessions to create and implement a personal action plan, and then retaking the SEI to measure the program’s efficacy.
Here is an overview of the results, with feedback from participants:
- 11 of 16 showed an improvement in overall emotional intelligence
- 14 of 16 showed improvement in the emotional intelligence competency of Apply Consequential Thinking – the ability to evaluate the costs and benefits of our choices
- 13 of 16 improved in the competency of Navigating Emotions – assessing, harnessing, and transforming emotions as a strategic resource
These changes rippled throughout the school community, and all stakeholders could feel the difference. The study revealed improvements in overall school engagement, measured by the Educational Vital Signs assessment. The two items with large increases from the pre-assessment to the post?
“This is one of the best schools around,” and “This school is making the world a better place.”
Lisa and the leadership team at St. Peter built this program on the 3 strands of social emotional learning: individual (SEI debriefs), small group (faculty Brain Talent workshops and parent masterclass workshops) and whole school (with the pre- and post- EVS). To learn more about Benchmarks for effective SEL implementation, please read this article.
The pandemic created unprecedented challenges for educators, and St. Peter’s turned that into a catalyst for positive change.
“We highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their own wellbeing,” wrote Co-Heads Sandle and Bariball., “which also then leads to an improvement in the wellbeing of the children.”
“A very worthwhile and thought provoking programme. It made me recognise my first emotional response and think about why others might be saying or doing things.”
“Lisa has been amazing. I feel more emotionally intelligent and it has had a positive effect on my life. My family has commented on how I have changed and how I am more positive.
“I found the 1-1 EQ assessment invaluable. It helped me understand myself. After extensively reviewing it and putting it into action, I am able to make better decisions.”
“Staff are better able to regulate emotions and identify them.”
“Staff are more aware of their triggers and how to manage stressful situations in school.”
EQ Skills Measured by the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence assessment (SEI)
You can read more about the SEI here.
Enhance Emotional Literacy – People are better able to name and understand complex feelings
Recognize Patterns – People are better able avoid repeating problematic behaviors
Apply Consequential Thinking – People are better able to pause and assess decisions before taking action
Navigate Emotions – People are better able to proactively manage their feelings
Engage Intrinsic Motivation (+34.9%) – People are better able to create and sustain their own motivation
Pursue Noble Goals (+44.3%) – People are better able to put their long-term vision and purpose into action
Increase Empathy (+12.8%) – People are better able to connect with one another authentically
Exercise Optimism (+30.7%) – People are better able to create solutions, innovate, take risks
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