According to LinkedIn, educators are amongst the highest burnout rate in professions by category. Common challenges associated with the career choice are workload management, long hours, and overwhelm compounded with time leading to burnout.
Ms Peta Jeppesen has been working in education for over 20 years, most recently coaching teachers, principals, and schools in her bespoke programs with Beyond the Classroom Australia. Her solution to the high burnout rate was to provide 1:1 support in an environment that allowed the individuals to not only receive support with their biggest challenges, but to foster a non-judgmental environment where educators can bring their grievances without fear of backlash.
Through her 1:1 coaching programs, Ms Jeppesen found that many educators were able to overcome workplace challenges at a much faster rate with personalised support and a safe container not associated with the school system. This allowed participants to bring not only their workplace challenges, but personal life aspects that are intertwined with the issues at hand while feeling their issues were safe to discuss.
Recently, Ms Katrina Dunne from St. Mary’s Charleville in rural Queensland participated in the 1:1 Coaching for Principals program with Beyond the Classroom Australia. The program includes six 90-minutes 1:1 coaching sessions, follow-up notes, homework, and ongoing email support.
Ms Dunne joined the program to receive support for herself, with the intent that it would trickle down to benefit her staff as well. Ms Jeppesen had a history of working in rural and remote schools, so she was able to support the unique challenges that come along with leadership roles in these communities.
“Leading change in a small rural community can be challenging,” Ms Dunne said.
“Peta’s mindset coaching enabled me to create a safe place for courageous conversations with colleagues. These conversations lead us into significant change to innovate on our practices and develop a more impactful and strategic direction for our school.”
The work they did together included developing a new direction for the school culture, better practices to support Ms Dunne’s leadership, workload management techniques, implementing wellbeing tools for mental health support, and so much more. The additional bonus? Ms Dunne received emotional support along the way, which is a rarity for those in education leadership.
The outcome of the program was a success in both Ms Jeppesen and Ms Dunne’s eyes. They both walked away with a sense of accomplishment, and the school community was better off for it too. Many of the staff noted an increase in workplace satisfaction and even went on to participate in the 1:1 Coaching for Teachers program with Ms Jeppesen.
Ms Jeppesen facilitates the 1:1 Coaching Program with Teachers and Principals all over Australia supporting the decrease in burnout rates. Her goals are not only to improve workplace wellbeing, but to build confidence in educators to reach for their goals. She believes every educator should have the personalised support they need to thrive in their career.
You can find more information on Beyond the Classroom Australia Coaching Programs here.
