Mental stress at work: Help for teachers and educators
The Baden-Württemberg Foundation is offering new training courses to prevent educational professionals and teachers from burning out. "Educational specialists and teachers are more frequently exposed to noise and psychological stress than other professional groups," explained the foundation in Stuttgart. A survey in the context of the current "Iglu" study, which internationally compares the reading performance of children at the end of the fourth grade, also showed that almost half of teaching staff feel exhausted and overworked in their day-to-day work. This increases the risk of burnout syndrome and associated mental illness.
The teachers' union GEW Baden-Württemberg does not have exact figures. However, the mental health of staff has long been an issue there. The GEW is also committed to strengthening prevention. "An important instrument would be if coaching and supervision were to become standard," said Managing Director Matthias Schneider. Supervision is professional counseling in which experiences are discussed.
Schneider referred, among other things, to teacher coaching groups based on the "Freiburg model". The aim of the program, which is funded by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, is to improve teachers' relationships with pupils, parents, colleagues and superiors.
The foundation and Ulm University Hospital have now developed new training courses for their "Come on board the healthy boat" health program: In free workshops, educators are to receive background knowledge, exercises and materials that will help them deal with psychosocial stress and can be used in everyday school or kindergarten life as well as privately. The aim is to prevent health problems, minimize stress and strengthen resilience. "After a pilot phase, the programs are now being launched nationwide," it said.
Early childhood educators do essential work for society, explained Christoph Dahl, Managing Director of the foundation. And the shortage of skilled workers in this area is great. "We are therefore committed to ensuring that pedagogical specialists and teachers are supported in their work in terms of their health and, with our program, offer scientifically sound offers to relieve the burden."
From the GEW's point of view, better working conditions such as smaller groups in daycare centers and smaller classes are the most effective measure to enable teachers to work (longer) in good health. However, Schneider said: "Due to the shortage of skilled workers, the situation has worsened rather than improved in recent years."
In a 21-point program on the shortage of teaching staff, the GEW proposes, among other things, increasing the age reduction - i.e. that older teachers work fewer hours per week. This would allow more of those affected to work up to the age limit, it said. "The majority of teachers retire early - despite financial losses."
Since 2009, the Baden-Württemberg Foundation has been supporting the health promotion of children up to the age of ten with its "Come on board the healthy boat" program. An interdisciplinary team from Ulm University Hospital trains educators and teachers at elementary school and special education and counseling centers (SBBZ) to get children interested in healthy eating, exercise and mindfulness in a playful way. More than 10,000 educational specialists and teachers from 3,000 facilities and schools in the southwest have reportedly taken part in the training courses since then.
"But we also actively involve parents in our program, because they are the ones who make the children's snacks at home and decide how much time is spent in front of the screen," explained Dahl, the foundation's managing director. "We show them how to act responsibly so that their children can enjoy exercise and healthy eating." According to a spokesperson, the "Healthy Boot" program includes free parents' evenings where parents are given tips and ideas for a healthy lifestyle in the family and are encouraged to be good role models for their children.
Schools and kindergartens can benefit from the new training courses developed by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation and Ulm University Hospital, aimed at equipping educators with tools to manage psychosocial stress and promote health. This is part of their "Come on board the healthy boat" program, which has been supporting children's health promotion since 2009.
The mental health of teachers and educators is a concern, as shown by the GEW's commitment to strengthening prevention and their proposal for better working conditions to reduce stress and burnout risk. For instance, they suggest smaller groups in daycare centers and schools to improve teachers' working conditions.
Source: www.dpa.com
