Prioritizing Staff Wellness

In 2021, I was honored with the title of South Carolina's Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, coupled with a nomination for National Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. This recognition provided me with the privilege of addressing a national audience on the crucial topic of student and adult mental and emotional wellness. 

I feel strongly that the initiatives we undertook at that time were groundbreaking, propelling our school to become the first high school recipient of the Whole Child Award in South Carolina, bestowed by the South Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The emphasis on student and adult wellness remains at the forefront of my priorities as a Principal. I firmly believe that a person's well-being is the cornerstone of their professional practice; educators who are not in optimal health cannot provide their students with the best support. Drawing on my background as a former School Counselor, I continuously strive to place the humanistic element at the core of our educational environment. I firmly assert that schools cannot thrive without healthy adults.

The escalating prevalence of mental health challenges among adults in schools nationwide has resulted in a severe shortage of teachers. This shortage, in turn, exacerbates gaps in student learning, necessitating schools to adopt nontraditional staffing methods.

As a Principal, championing adult wellness takes precedence in my role. Emerging from the Winter holiday season—a time often associated with phrases like peace and joy—I firmly assert that these sentiments should not be confined to holiday observances but should permeate a school's staff climate year-round.

My vision is simple: when entering our school, I want my staff members to encounter an environment filled with peace and experience overwhelming joy. Acknowledging the inherent challenges of public schools, it is the primary objective of my leadership team and me to alleviate the day-to-day stressors that often lead to educator burnout.

As the page turns to a new semester today, I intend to maintain an intentional focus on adult wellness so that the educators whom I provide supervision and oversight feel supported, experience peace in their profession, and are overwhelmed with joy when they are doing the work they were called to do.

For those eager to explore effective strategies for fostering a climate of peace and joy among their staff, we invite you to reach out to us at TheMillennialPrincipal.org. Together, let's cultivate a school environment where well-being is not just a seasonal aspiration but an enduring reality.

https://schoolguide.casel.org/what-is-sel/indicators-of-schoolwide-sel/