The Impact of Educators on Student Well-Being

After traveling across the United States to reunite with family and friends, I’m back in my space as an educational consultant - leading workshops, sharing best practices, and touring schools and workspaces to observe and recommend improvements. One question keeps resurfacing: What are the biggest challenges #educators face every day? Two decades in, I now answer this through the lens of one who has worked with all stakeholders. In education, we often focus on lesson planning, classroom management, and assessments. However, the real challenges are often emotional and social. If you spot a child showing the signs below, that is a crisis demanding focus. 1. Disconnection: The child is quiet, unresponsive, and avoids group work or class discussions. They look and feel emotionally withdrawn. 2. Amotivation: A child lacks initiative - missing deadlines, submitting incomplete or rushed assignments, and showing little interest in school. 3. Learned Helplessness: The child frequently says, "I can't do this!" or "This is so hard!" They avoid trying, believing they will not find success. 4. Avoidance: Increased absenteeism, tardiness, or opting out of activities. Their emotional presence in school is diminished. 5. Low Future Orientation: The child’s response to future plans is apathetic, as if silently or loudly saying "I don’t care!" They seem disconnected from goals or growth as though they no longer believe in their ability to accomplish. If left unchecked, these behaviors can escalate into full disengagement, leading to a loss of motivation and withdrawal from the classroom community. How can educators respond using social-emotional learning (#SEL) strategies? 1. Empathetic Communication: Create a safe space for conversation to uncover the root causes of disengagement. Active listening and empathy are essential. A simple, "I’ve noticed you seem quieter lately. Is everything okay? I am here to talk," can open the door to support. 2. Emotional Self-Regulation + Metacognition: Help the child identify and articulate their emotions. Break down challenges into manageable steps, celebrating small wins along the way to restore their sense of control. 3. Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge the child’s strengths and resilience. Recognizing effort boosts their sense of belonging and self-worth, vital for emotional engagement. 4. Autonomy Support: Provide opportunities for the child to take ownership of their learning. Let them share topics that resonate with their interests or offer different formats for assignments (a video, artwork, or a report). Every #child deserves an understanding #adult. The most effective interventions happen before full withdrawal. By creating an emotionally supportive environment - one that nurtures social-emotional growth - we can help sustain motivation, foster resilience, and empower our #children to thrive because those are the life lessons not explicitly listed in the lesson plans. . . . #backtowork #hattennoki #eq

"Research shows that strong teacher-student relationships significantly enhance engagement, motivation, and academic performance, with an effect size of 0.52 according to John Hattie’s meta-analysis (Visible Learning Limited Partnership & Cognition Education Group, 2017). Positive teacher-student relationships—characterized by low conflict, high support, and minimal dependency—are essential for effective learning and meeting students’ academic, social, and developmental needs (Improving Students’ Relationships With Teachers, n.d.). When students feel secure, they are more likely to explore, take risks, and tackle challenging tasks, supporting their growth and resilience." By Kelly Williams Learner-Centered Collaborative #LearnerCentered #EvolvingEducation

A Teacher's Simple Strategy That Changed 30 Lives Every Morning Ever wondered how one small gesture can transform an entire classroom's energy? Let me share a powerful thing that's reshaping how we think about starting our school days. Here's how it works: Each student gets to choose their preferred way to start the day: - A gentle high-five - A quick hug - A friendly fist bump - A simple smile and nod - A quiet "good morning" The results? Remarkable. Students who once dragged themselves to class now arrive early, excited to make their choice. Anxiety levels dropped.  Class participation soared.  Even the most reserved students found their comfortable way to connect. What makes this approach powerful is its simplicity. It: - Respects personal boundaries - Builds trust - Creates a safe space - Teaches emotional awareness - Promotes daily positive interactions This isn't just about starting the day right – it's about teaching our children that their comfort matters, their choices count, and their well-being is priority. What if we all took a moment each day to ask others how they'd like to be greeted? Sometimes, the smallest changes create the biggest impact. #Education #TeachingInnovation #StudentWellbeing #ClassroomCulture #PersonalizedLearning

Having been trained by a great superintendent on the importance of developing happy kids, living in healthy relationships, on a path to gainful employment, the idea of relationships in schools has been firmly imprinted in my head. Today, during a regular follow-up call with a principal partner from River Valley School District, I asked about the importance of relationships and how our methods are helping in his school. He shared: "When I have a kid in my office, I can look in PowerSchool, and right next to their name is their #RIASEC code. That lets me look at the student a little bit differently—I know a little bit about them before our conversation even starts. And for the students who don’t typically open up, I can use their RIASEC to start a conversation and begin to build a relationship." His response reminded me of something Michael H. has emphasized in his postings—how critical relationships are in career education: "A lack of relationships between career practitioners and their students undermines the quality and equity of career education." (Groves et al., 2021) On the other hand, we know from research that: "Independent computer-based activities are significantly less impactful than career education delivered by an educator or counselor." (Whiston et al., 2003; Whiston et al., 2017) This is why we prioritize building a common career language, using self reporting methods for RIASEC alongside meaningful conversations. When students and educators engage in self-reflection and dialogue, it deepens understanding and relationships. As wonderful as the machines are, they can't care about the human. Philip Martell Trisha Martell Steve Regur Cristina Santos, PhD Dr Hoda Kilani CPCC #CareerLiteracy #CareerDevelopment #K12 #Principals #CareerConnectedSchools Educators Cooperative #PossibleSelves

Students with a plethora of personal, emotional and social issues undoubtedly require help with academic skills, but their need for life skills is even greater.  Students experiencing strong connections and relationships with positive adults develop the foundation of HOPE necessary to believe in themselves and their futures. As a principal of a K-8 school in a low-socioeconomic community, I initiated mentoring programs for my junior high students. I charged my two female social workers with starting a young women's mentoring and resilience empowerment program, and I started a similar program for young men. We introduced and facilitated many activities with these students to teach life skills and provide them with a sense of hope were We interviewed students, provided them with interest surveys and helped them to create vision boards. These tools helped them recognize their strengths and enabled them to meditate and envision their futures.  This mentoring program I implemented for my junior high students was successful. It helped students make better choices and develop their short- and long-term goals to envision and work toward a positive future.  Students that participated in the mentoring and resilience empowerment program came away from it with a strong sense of hope and direction for their futures to live a life of purpose. They were now far better equipped to go about their days with intention. They knew that basing their decisions on who they wanted to be and what they wanted to accomplish was the path to fulfillment. Educators, we MUST continue to give our students HOPE. Provide ENCOURAGEMENT. Help them visualize what they want to be in the future and guide them toward creating a plan that will lead them down the road to success. We must BELIEVE in them.  #buildingbridges #studentsuccess #hope