Working Well: A Teacher’s Perspective on Staff Well-Being.

In partnership with the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments

Posted December 6, 2023, by Mindi Wisman

Since the health of the educational system and its workforce is critical to student success, a concerted investment in staff well-being can only help to ensure that outcome. As part of our work with the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE), we convened several roundtable discussions with a variety of researchers and educators in communities across the country to gain a better understanding of the well-being practices being implemented. Our aim was to learn how expanding some of these practices could serve to improve the overall conditions for teaching.

Jermar Rountree

As a result, our team created the Working Well podcast series, the first of which we’re featuring here, with more to follow, including conversations with a Superintendent, Principal, School Psychologist, and Researcher. In this podcast episode we speak with Jermar Rountree, a Pre-K through 8th grade health and physical education teacher at a Title I school in the Washington D.C. area. Mr. Rountree has been teaching physical education for 16 years and serves as the district teacher lead for the physical education and health department. In 2023 he was named the D.C. Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year. He spoke with Youth Catalytics’ Executive Director Melanie Goodman about the social emotional learning activities he incorporates into his teaching, the importance of being vulnerable with students and sharing feelings, supporting his colleagues in their health and wellness journeys, having autonomy in the classroom, what sustains his passion for teaching, and more.

Listen to the Working Well podcast

Also see the Working Well Resource Directory we created for administrators, teachers, and other staff.