Principals’ wellbeing is essential for a positive school environment: podcast

An expert is urging school principals to take care of their wellbeing during the holidays as staff shortages, workload, administrative tasks and the aftermath of Covid-19 have left them struggling with their mental health. 

While principals’ stress levels have skyrocketed, teacher, coach, author and director at Teacher Wellbeing Daniela Falecki said they sometimes feel like they have to put on a brave face and pretend that everything is okay.

“Principals set the tone for their organisations, they create the vision and the culture for their schools, but currently, with the added pressure our school leaders are really struggling to manage this very difficult and dynamic space,” Falacki told Education Review. 

She believes school principals need to be able to switch off as the amount of work they have is endless. 

“The biggest issue for us as educators is cognitive fatigue and cognitive overload and unfortunately Term 4 will be exactly the same as Term 3; it won’t get better.

Falacki joined Education Review to discuss the importance of principals' wellbeing and shares tips on how education staff can recharge and maintain their mental health throughout the year.