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Pioneering a Sustainable Plan
There are three levels of contact when it comes to celebrating another. A compliment is closest to the surface, an affirmation is slightly deeper because it requires greater consideration, and appreciation, which involves our own selves as much as the other.
I am so enormously appreciative of NJASA for their support of TeacherCoach, allowing us to actualize our vision to bolster the individual wellness and organizational health of schools here in New Jersey. Partnering with NJASA provides a unique opportunity to lead this country in school improvement.
The opportunity to integrate personal growth and professional development for the most important professionals on the planet is essential for attracting and sustaining top talent. District leaders throughout the state have validated this need with their own risk taking to evolve professional development. With growing stress and the threat of burnout, district leaders are balancing their faculties, district, and own personal needs, a stressful proposition.
NJASA recognizes the importance for supporting the social emotional learning and physical well-being of educators throughout the state. Rather than teaching educators a number of SEL skills in the hope they will gain mastery, we are pioneering a more sustainable plan.
By helping educators embody the principles of resiliency, we gain an important bonus. Not only do the educators feel more invested in their own work, they are more likely to infuse their students with the same learning. Instead of thinking of SEL as skills, we reframe this a paradigm for living, fortifying communities against the threats of suicide, anxiety, addiction and more.
Through our work in TeacherCoach, district leaders can extend any of the virtual learning in their dedicated district portal to the families in their community. Whether it’s bullying, anxiety in children, or SEL, parents will learn how to be good partners to the school, providing a strong foundation for students.
Most recently, at the February meeting of the NJASA Professional Development Committee, TeachCoach provided a deep dive into stress and educational leadership. Also this year, a three-part series on SEL was offered to district leaders, offering a new paradigm into mental health and prevention.
Editor’s Note:
On a national stage, Dr. Scherz has recently done the keynote for the Virginia Dept. of Education and been an invited panelist for the Kennedy Forum on mental Health in Schools.
