Page 32 - ELG2304 Apr Issue 484

REVIEWS .

CULTIVATING TEACHER WELLBEING
Kate Brierton and Christina Gkonou
Cambridge University Press and Assessment, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-108-93286-8
n his preface, Cambridge Educational
Management series editor Andy Hockley
correctly points out how wellbeing in
Ithe workplace is a subject that has risen
to prominence over recent years. Evidence
of concern for a healthy work-life balance
among stressed-out language teachers can
be found in *Mercer and Gregersen (2020),
a review of which appears in Issue 471 of
the EL Gazette. Whereas the former largely
adopts a classroom practitioner’s first-person
approach, Cultivating Teacher Wellbeing looks
at matters from a higher level. The focus
here is on how school managers themselves
should take responsibility and act accordingly
to help avoid burnout and attrition among
not only themselves, but in relation to
overburdened teachers in their respective
departments.
Co-authored by a clinical psychologist
(Brierton) and a professor of ELT (Gkonou),
this title is written in two parts; the first half
consists of chapters on the human mind and
cultivating wellbeing, the second a lengthy
toolkit of three one-day training workshops
for teachers. In their introduction Brierton
and Gkonou explain how wellbeing is rarely
(if ever) prioritised among departmental
issues such as policies, appraisals or goal
setting. They provide examples of some
ELT managers’ disbelief when suggesting
that instead of ever more workshops on
perhaps learner-autonomy and classroom-
management, devoting time to teachers
reflecting on their own emotions might in the
long run be a more constructive move.
The key point made throughout is that, in
the same way cabin crew on an airplane prior
to take-off advise parents to put on oxygen
masks before dealing with their children,
managers of educational institutions will, by
focusing on teachers’ likely mental concerns,
be putting on their own metaphorical oxygen and anxiety disorders. This provides the classroom is the topic of chapter four and
masks and be at their best when working with necessary background to the following consists of nothing but sound advice on how
teachers and students. In order to illustrate chapter on cultivating your own wellbeing, to develop what, after almost four decades of
such concerns along with other demands of where the emphasis is on managers’ mental involvement in the profession, I personally
the ELT profession, the authors introduce health and the importance of developing feel is the most important factor in the ELT
several fictional educators from around the self-compassion - the motivation to care for classroom: teacher-student rapport.
world. One is ‘Vinicious’ in Brazil who, unless ourselves. One sentence is worth quoting in All of the above is followed by a tool-kit
he receives urgent support, is unfortunately full: “It is through daring to be vulnerable, of ready-made sessions with accompanying
about to become another example of early- developing self-compassion and then seeking worksheets that should help managers carry
career teacher attrition. Also included are five support in a safe environment, that leaders out their duty to care for those they lead. This
case studies of actual teachers such as Stella, can develop and maintain the resilience title is a most welcome and valuable addition
teaching in the UK and who explains how she to cope with the demands of their role.” to the growing literature documenting the
guards her own wellbeing as a teacher. (Page 56). Worthy of note, too, is the list of importance of consideration for the mental
The first of four chapters is devoted to signs indicating when professional help may concerns of those in the ELT profession.
understanding the human mind. This looks be required, such as persistent patterns of
closely at the three-circle model of emotion alcohol abuse. *Teacher Wellbeing, by Sarah Mercer and Tammy
Gregersen, OUP, 2020.
regulation systems: threat, soothing and Creating a whole school culture of
drive, and how emotional health can be wellbeing is the concern of the third chapter,
found by developing the ability to move more in which one of the six ingredients listed
freely between these three mind states. Also to enable this is servant leadership, which Wayne Trotman is a teacher
explained are how blocked goals may lead to is where, the authors explain, the leader’s educator at Izmir Katip
frustration and demotivation, along with the primary role is to serve the needs of their Çelebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
causes and effects of trauma, loss, depression followers. Teacher wellbeing inside the
32 April 2023