Who Cares for the Carers? A Holistic Approach to Teacher Wellbeing in a Tribal Head Start Context

Abstract

Introduction: Often, our focus when investigating the stress and well-being of teachers is on how it affects the students they teach. It’s true that a teacher’s levels of stress, depression, and well-being affects the socio-emotional and academic development of the children, not to mention students often come to school with physical, mental, social, learning difficulties, or trauma, that teachers can be ill-supported in handling. However far less time and resources have been spent on valuing teachers as individuals who themselves need psychological support and resources to optimize their own health and well-being.

Methods: Through a research-practice partnership between the Fort Peck Native American Reservation, Fort Peck Head Start and Johns Hopkins University, USA we implemented a culturally informed intervention focused solely on the teachers, to support their well-being and find ways to help them manage and decrease stress and depression.

Results: By focusing on re-connection to culture, healing historical and contemporary traumas perpetrated by colonizing practices and normalizing traditional cultural practices we supported a process of healing.

Discussion: This presentation discusses what has followed on from the research study. We describe the process of building morale, improving partnerships between Tribal Head Start administration and staff as we navigate reconnection to our Native American culture, put supports in place to mitigate the harmful effects of colonization such as addiction, suicide, poverty and poor physical health.

Conclusion: Focusing on our Sovereignty, rich cultural heritage, connection to land, relatives and the Creator is enabling a flourishing and healing in our teachers.