The use of positive psychology intervention to foster teacher well-being

Educators have a long and lasting impact on students’ lives—for better or for worse. Many educators are passionate about caring for their students’ well-being, guiding their academic development, and addressing emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioral needs that arise. Nevertheless, this passion can take a toll on their own well-being. Unmanageable workloads, academic pressures from leadership and parents, student mental health and behavioral issues, limited control, and lack of resources contribute to teacher stress, anxiety, absenteeism, low productivity, burnout, and attrition. This, in turn, negatively affects the quality of education, student outcomes, student well-being, and academic performance. In this chapter, the role of positive psychology interventions in supporting teacher well-being is discussed, with consideration for how interventions might be tailored to address the specific needs and circumstances of different educators and contexts. Through the effective use of positive psychology interventions, teacher well-being can potentially be improved, with implications for the functioning of both teachers and their students.