Explore and create: Exploratory Creation lab 
Preregistration Required
The purpose of this session is to provide educators with the opportunity to experience and apply tech strategies to benefit their well-being and promote career longevity. By the end of the session, participants will have had the opportunity and resources to conduct a tech for teacher wellness tune-up to include the following items.
-Evaluate their own well-being as it relates to their career.
-Establish healthy boundaries between their work and personal lives.
-Foster digital positivity.
-Leverage tech features to make their workday more efficient.
-Explore a variety of professional learning networks to engage in their career goals.
INTRODUCTION & INSTRUCTIONS: Participants will be asked to evaluate their own well-being as it relates to their career by using the Leichtman Burnout Scale for reference. They will then be provided with an overview of the tune-up station experiences and given the opportunity to participate in the ones they determine to be the most beneficial to their well-being.
(10 minutes)
STATION TUNE-UP ROTATIONS: Participants will use resources provided at each station to meet the objectives of the session. These self-guided tune-up stations are designed for them to be able to integrate practical strategies that include the following.
STATION 1: BRAKE CHECK: Establish healthy boundaries between work and personal lives by using tech features available to do so.
STATION 2: WASH & DETAILING STATION: Learn strategies to foster digital positivity.
STATION 3: UPGRADES: Leverage tech features to make their workday more efficient to provide more teaching & personal time.
STATION 4: CUSTOMIZIATION: Explore a variety of professional learning networks specific to areas of professional interest to engage in their career goals.
STATION 5: ROUTINE MAINTENANCE: Consider ways to manage and maintain technology in the classroom.
(45 minutes)
CONCLUSION: Participants will be provided with an opportunity to share feedback and other suggestions for promoting educator wellness.
(5 minutes)
Carroll, A., York, A., Fynes-Clinton, S., Sanders-O’Connor, E., Flynn, L., Bower, J. M., Forrest, K., & Ziaei, M. (2021). The downstream effects of teacher well-being programs: Improvements in teachers’ stress, cognition and well-being benefit their students. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.689628
Ding, E., Arias, O., Mijares, A. & Molina, E. (2022, October 20). For better learning outcomes, we must prioritize teacher well-being. Weforum. eforum.org/agenda/2022/10/teachers-well-being-and-empowerment-learning-recovery-acceleration
Dreer, B., & Gouasé, N. (2021). Interventions fostering well-being of schoolteachers: A Review of Research. Oxford Review of Education, 48(5), 587–605. doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2021.2002290
Fan, R. (2021, April 30). Teaching is not martyrdom. Psychology Today. www.psychologytoday.com/
us/blog/social-emotional-learning-teachers/202104/teaching-is-not-martyrdom
Fernández-Batanero, J.-M., Román-Graván, P., Reyes-Rebollo, M.-M., & Montenegro-Rueda, M. (2021). Impact of educational technology on teacher stress and anxiety: A literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 548. doi. org/10.3390/ijerph18020548
GBAO. (2022, January 31). Poll results: Stress and burnout pose threat of educator shortages. NEA. nea.org/sites/default/files/2022-02/NEA%20Member%20COVID-19%20Survey%20Summary.pdf
International Barometer of Education. (2023, February 10). Education
and Solidarity Network. educationsolidarite.org/en/our-actions/
international-barometer-of-the-health-and-well-being-of-education-personnel/
Leichtman, K. (2022, May 26). How burned out are you? A scale for teachers. Edutopia. edutopia. org/article/how-burned-out-are-you-scale-teachers/
Satici, S. A., Gocet Tekin, E., Deniz, M. E., & Satici, B. (2022). Doomscrolling scale: Its association with personality traits, psychological distress, social media use, and well-being. Applied Research in Quality of Life. doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10110-7
Tikkanen, L., Pyhältö, K., Soini, T., & Pietarinen, J. (2021). Crossover of burnout in the classroom—is teacher exhaustion transmitted to students? International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 9(4), 326–339. doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2021.1942343
UNESCO. (2022, October 4). World Teachers’ Day: UNESCO sounds the
alarm on the global teacher shortage crisis. unesco.org/en/articles/
world-teachers-day-unesco-sounds-alarm-global-teacher-shortage-crisis?hub=701
Walley, M. (2023, February 1). Teachers are burning out. Can AI help?. Eschoolnews. eschoolnews.
com/digital-learning/2023/02/01/teachers-are-burning-out-can-ai-help/
Will, M., & Superville, D. R. (2022, June 9). Don’t forget the adults: How schools and districts can support educator mental health. Education Week. edweek.org/teaching-learning/dont-forget-the-adults-how-schools-and-districts-can-support-educator-mental-health/2022/03
Zuger, S. (2023, April 11). School wellness coordinators: What to know. Techlearning. techlearning. com/news/wellness-coordinators-what-to-know
Return
Trips and Tours