Rooted in Resilience: A Framework for the Integration of Well-Being in Teacher Education Programs

The process of teaching students is incredibly difficult. Oftentimes, the adversities of the profession sway highly effective teachers into social and emotional deficits, and eventually lead to burnout (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011; Wisniewski & Gargiulo, 1997). Emotional depletion, burnout, and high attrition in the profession may be costly for the educational system – both financially and academically (Klusmann, Richter, & Lüdtke, 2016). We suggest that the key to preventing burnout, and cultivating flourishing students, is through the educators themselves. Educators who are taught, practice, and implement the skills of well-being at the onset of their careers are more likely to positively adapt and endure the adversities associated with the profession. Investigation of the current integration of well-being skills in teacher education programs suggests that teaching well-being is not prioritized and, therefore, not well included in the curriculum of teacher education programs. As a result, we suggest a framework for the reform of teacher education programs, which includes well-being accreditation standards, supporting domains, and sample courses. Planting a seed of resilience within teacher education programs may allow educators to build foundational practices and pedagogies based on the science of human flourishing. We hope that our research sparks conversations about the importance of prioritizing teacher well-being and resilience.