A holistic approach to raise the quality of education through promoting teacher wellbeing.
© Teaching to Be project
Teachers’ stress and burnout are major concerns across Europe, causing challenges to teachers’ health and school systems. Moreover, increased focus on social and emotional competences across Europe poses new challenges for teachers in maintaining their own wellbeing and effective teaching.
‘Teaching to Be’ was a European policy experimentation project (2021-2024) and a cooperation of 11 partners from 8 countries. It aimed to support school teachers’ career improvement by exploring innovative professional development practices to foster and strengthen teachers’ professional wellbeing.
The project developed the following outputs:
- An online course on teachers’ professional wellbeing: The course aims to develop teachers’ practical skills for sustaining their wellbeing through self-regulated learning.
- A teacher’s workbook (available in 9 languages): The book is part of the course but can be used also independently. It includes worksheets for self-reflection and for tracking progress.
- A participatory action researchguide for schools (available in 9 languages): The guide helps school communities to work together on school issues, improve professional wellbeing and develop new professional skills for teachers and school leaders.
Comments by the external reviewers on this resource:
The project itself is interesting and relevant as it involves a great number of partners, including ministries from different countries. The topic and activities are relevant, and the workbook for teachers is a great resource which can be used among all teachers.
Further reading
Teaching to Be project website
Teaching to Be project outcomes
This new report from the European Education Area working group on early childhood education and care (ECEC) explores competences, qualifications and training needed by ECEC centre leaders to perform their very demanding jobs.
Leaders in ECEC centres can play an important role in creating opportunities for improving working conditions and supporting professional development initiatives. They can help to build a respectful, trusting, collaborative, safe environment for ECEC staff, a sense of belonging, and caring relationships, which are necessary for skills improvement and staff well-being. Such an environment creates the conditions for children to feel protected, nurtured and supported to thrive – thus providing a safe and stimulating educational environment where children’s well-being and learning is sustained by warm and responsive interactions with adults.
ECEC leadership can also play a significant role in staff engagement in professional development initiatives as well as on the building of professional learning communities sustaining democratic and inclusive processes at the centre or local level. Effective ECEC leaders foster a positive organisational climate, promote staff well-being and professional development, which in turn enhances staff motivation and the quality of education.
This second report on leadership in ECEC explores the competences and training needed for effective leaders. The report is based on research findings and intense discussions to compare different perspectives; it includes many examples from across Europe, as well as a proposal by the working group for a #competenceprofile of ECEC leaders.
For more information, see the report “Leadership in ECEC: competences and training” ( 2025)
Topics
Teacher and school leader careers
European School Education Platform
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