Course description

A focused professional learning journey.

Teacher wellbeing cannot be sustained through self-care advice alone. Energy, motivation and professional fulfilment are shaped by workload, emotional demands, boundaries, relationships, leadership practices and the degree of control educators experience in their work.

This course creates space for honest reflection without turning the week into therapy. Participants use evidence-informed regulation and communication practices, examine organisational stressors and design small changes that are realistic within busy schools.

Who is this course for?

Teachers, school leaders, trainers and education support staff.

Education settingsSchool, VET, adult and non-formal learning Prior experienceNo specialist expertise unless stated RecommendedBring a laptop or tablet where possible

Course objectives

Recognise stress, burnout and protective factors accurately
Identify personal and organisational patterns that drain capacity
Practise short regulation and recovery strategies
Set boundaries and communicate workload concerns constructively
Strengthen trust, peer support and psychological safety
Design sustainable wellbeing actions at individual and team level

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Create a personal energy and stress map
Apply regulation tools during demanding work moments
Prepare a clear boundary or workload conversation
Facilitate a practical peer-support routine
Audit a school practice for wellbeing impact
Complete a 30-day personal and team wellbeing plan

Detailed 5-day programme

Fifteen connected modules, from understanding to confident application.

Day 1

Understanding Educator Wellbeing

Module 01

Stress, Burnout and the Work Context

Distinguish acute stress, chronic overload, burnout and ordinary tiredness. Examine job demands, resources, meaning, autonomy and relational factors.

Module 02

Mapping Energy Rather Than Judging Yourself

Track tasks, transitions, emotional labour and recovery. Identify controllable changes and system issues that require collective action.

Module 03 · Applied workshop

Personal Stress-and-Resource Mapping

Map workload, transitions, emotional labour, autonomy, relationships and recovery to distinguish personal coping opportunities from organisational problems.

Practical outcome: Personal stress-and-resource map

Day 2

Regulation, Recovery and Attention

Module 04

Skills for Difficult Moments

Practise brief grounding, breathing, attention-shifting and self-compassion techniques appropriate for use before, during or after a demanding lesson.

Module 05

Recovery That Fits Real Working Lives

Examine micro-recovery, breaks, task switching, digital interruption, sleep-supportive habits and the difference between rest and avoidance.

Module 06 · Applied workshop

Regulation and Micro-Recovery Practice

Test brief grounding, breathing, attention and recovery strategies in realistic school moments and select options that fit the participant’s actual working day.

Practical outcome: Personal recovery menu and experiment

Day 3

Boundaries and Healthy Professional Relationships

Module 07

Workload, Perfectionism and the “Always Available” Teacher

Identify hidden standards and availability expectations. Decide what good-enough work, response windows and role clarity can look like.

Module 08

Assertive Communication and Conflict Repair

Rehearse requests, refusals, feedback and repair conversations using clear observation, impact, need and next-step language.

Module 09 · Applied workshop

Boundary Conversation Rehearsal

Prepare and practise a clear request, refusal or workload conversation using observation, impact, professional need and a workable next step.

Practical outcome: Boundary conversation plan

Day 4

From Individual Coping to Healthy School Systems

Module 10

Psychological Safety and Collegial Support

Explore trust, help-seeking, mistakes and team climate. Design peer check-ins that provide support without adding another burdensome meeting.

Module 11

Auditing Work Practices

Evaluate meetings, communication channels, deadlines, duty distribution and change initiatives for avoidable friction and cognitive overload.

Module 12 · Applied workshop

School Work-Practice Audit

Evaluate meetings, deadlines, communication channels, duties and change initiatives for avoidable friction, cognitive overload and unequal emotional labour.

Practical outcome: Team wellbeing improvement proposal

Day 5

Sustainable Change and Professional Purpose

Module 13

Reconnecting With Values and Agency

Clarify the parts of teaching that provide meaning and identify small job-crafting choices that protect them.

Module 14

Thirty-Day Wellbeing Design

Build a modest plan with triggers, support, boundaries, evidence and a recovery strategy for setbacks; exchange accountable peer commitments.

Module 15 · Applied workshop

Thirty-Day Sustainable Wellbeing Studio

Create a modest personal and team plan with triggers, supports, boundaries, indicators and a recovery strategy for setbacks rather than an unrealistic self-care promise.

Practical outcome: Personal and team wellbeing plan

The sequence and examples may be fine-tuned after the pre-course needs analysis. The published learning outcomes and 30 teaching hours remain unchanged.

Teaching and learning methods

The course uses active professional learning. Short conceptual inputs are followed by investigation, creation, testing, feedback and reflection connected to each participant’s own educational context.

Guided self-auditRegulation practiceCase reflectionCommunication rehearsalTeam-system mappingHabit prototyping

Your course product

A sustainable wellbeing plan containing personal regulation practices, one boundary strategy, a peer-support routine and an organisational improvement proposal.

European relevance

The course translates European priorities and competence frameworks into practical educational and institutional action.

Erasmus+ priorities

Inclusion and diversityRecognising staff wellbeing as a condition for safe, supportive and equitable learning environments.
Support for education staffStrengthening resilience, professional agency, collegial support and sustainable working practices.
Participation in democratic lifeEncouraging psychologically safe teams in which staff can communicate needs, contribute to decisions and seek support.
Quality in education and trainingConnecting educator wellbeing with continuity, teaching quality, staff retention and sustainable institutional improvement.

EU competence frameworks and reference instruments

LifeCompSupporting self-regulation, wellbeing, flexibility, empathy, collaboration and reflective learning.
Council Recommendation on Pathways to School SuccessRecognising wellbeing at school and supported education staff as elements of a systemic approach to school success.
European Education Area work on teachers and school leadersLinking professional development, attractive careers and supportive working conditions with high-quality education.
EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021–2027Providing a European context for prevention, psychosocial risk awareness and healthier workplaces.
EU comprehensive approach to mental healthEncouraging prevention, early support and mental-health-aware environments for learners, educators and caregivers.

Assessment, validation and follow-up

Learning is evidenced through active participation, daily practical outcomes, peer and trainer feedback, the final course product and an individual transfer commitment. Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance. Learning Agreement and Europass Mobility support is available when required.

Teacher Wellbeing, Resilience and Sustainable Work Practices