My name is Natalie Tsui and I am a Secondary School teacher in York Region. I am also pursuing my Masters of Education in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the University of Toronto (OISE). This web resource is designed for the Holistic Approaches to Information Technology course led by Dr. Selia Karsten.
As someone who is in the early years of my teaching career, I am more than familiar with the struggles to balance the demands of the profession with personal life responsibilities. The opportunity to work in many different schools teaching different grades and subjects has shown me that I am far from alone in these experiences, shared by so many colleagues who also strive to be the best educator they can be. The role of the educator is constantly evolving, and teachers today wear many "hats" so to speak. One of the most important lessons I am learning is that in order to support the learning and wellbeing of students, we need to foster mentally healthy schools, and that includes the wellbeing of teachers and school staff.
Similar to student mental health, supporting teacher wellbeing is complex and requires both individual and organizational approaches. It starts with understanding that teacher wellbeing needs to be valued, and the rippling effect it has on school climate. The resources on this website range from practical suggestions for managing mental health to research on more systematic initiatives. Above all, I hope that the information on this web resource will spark some of the much needed conversation on staff wellbeing that can be translated into action, whether as part of one's personal growth or at a staff PD session.
As someone who is in the early years of my teaching career, I am more than familiar with the struggles to balance the demands of the profession with personal life responsibilities. The opportunity to work in many different schools teaching different grades and subjects has shown me that I am far from alone in these experiences, shared by so many colleagues who also strive to be the best educator they can be. The role of the educator is constantly evolving, and teachers today wear many "hats" so to speak. One of the most important lessons I am learning is that in order to support the learning and wellbeing of students, we need to foster mentally healthy schools, and that includes the wellbeing of teachers and school staff.
Similar to student mental health, supporting teacher wellbeing is complex and requires both individual and organizational approaches. It starts with understanding that teacher wellbeing needs to be valued, and the rippling effect it has on school climate. The resources on this website range from practical suggestions for managing mental health to research on more systematic initiatives. Above all, I hope that the information on this web resource will spark some of the much needed conversation on staff wellbeing that can be translated into action, whether as part of one's personal growth or at a staff PD session.