**12. Summary of phase 1**

The excerpts presented from the Interviews from Phase 1 above confirm that despite the change in work practices necessitated by Covid 19 and the impact of the pandemic on day to day living, the silver lining for the participants in this research study was the additional time to address personal well-being- which was achieved through spending time outdoors and in nature, being with family and close friends and reigniting an interest in hobbies that were given limited attention previously. Overall these examples provide further insights into the positive impact of being able to take time for self-care at an individual level as a silver lining. While the experience of tiredness was still present due to the different demands of working remotely, having time for the self, for spending with significant others and away from the school itself has been perceived as qualitatively positive concurrent with the significant

*Teacher Self-Care Practices to Support Well-Being during the Covid 19 Pandemic DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110428*

reduction in client-related burnout. Time pressure has recently been shown to negatively correlate with teachers' subjective vitality [13]. One participant reported feeling drained that their medical practitioner "could just see that I was reaching burnout with no question". However, this participant did not take time off but used strategies such as setting school departure time and following through. It was interesting to see that these self-initiated ways to care for the self, were in line with the findings of McMakin et al. [41] confirming that teachers and principals are able to intuitively know what they need for their unique situations.

## **13. Subjective well-being: Phase 2**

When the teachers and principals participated in phase 2 of data collection, they had returned to school for approximately three months and were almost ready for the Christmas break. The feedback from the participants in this phase of data collection was mixed in terms of participant responses to supporting personal well-being. Some participants continued to prioritise personal well-being, some felt the return to school really supported well-being and principals in particular felt the burden of responsibility on them was huge, with little to no support from the Department of Education or other support services.

Having identified the importance of harnessing *time* for the self in supporting well-being during their lockdown. Many of the participants explained how they attempted to continue this once back at school at Phase 2.

*What I found during lockdown and I think again now was that getting out into nature is key, ideally when it's bright. It's not always possible. During that first term, you know, I could have been walking in the dark evenings. It's much better to be out under a blue sky for forty-five minutes so that to me is essential. The second thing was putting a time limit, a cut-off time on the school building and saying, no matter what, I am leaving at this time (P1, Phase 2).*

T1 explained that she had "gotten back in the habit" of sea swimming since the lockdown, and can use this as a way to release school-related frustration, which is reflected in their reduced frustration in this teacher's burnout measure.

*I sea swim a lot and I've been doing it consistently. Usually, I dip in and out throughout the winter but I've been doing it way more and I've gotten back into the habit of doing it more at home as well. So now I go most days and I think like if I leave school frustrated and my head's full or so on, I will go for a swim. So things like that, you know? Say getting out, getting more fresh air. Probably getting fresh air at the weekends than I ever got before but it's definitely not hurting me (T1, Phase 2).*

A further illustration of this is provided by P6 (Phase 2);

*I suppose I'd be a fairly resilient person anyway but I think that's maybe because I'm conscious of my mental health. I'm conscious of my well-being and I make sure that I do things every single day that bolster that, you know? (P4, Phase 2).*

Similar to the T1, T5 (phase 2) explained how she retained her lockdown "bubble" people and activities into the returned to school environment as follows:

*And if I felt that I was slipping into, Oh God, I'd have to pull myself and say, Right, come on now up and out. Get out for a walk, put on the runners. You know? I'll text somebody who I haven't texted in a while and see how they're getting on (T5, Phase 2).*

In summary these examples shed light on the reduced client-related burnout from Phase 1 to Phase 2. The fact that the teachers had been gifted the time during the initial lockdown to attend to their own care and well-being needs in a more holistic way, they were eager on return to school to continue to incorporate daily habits to address personal well-being.

However, the increased workload upon return did curtail this, as exemplified in the next examples:

*I suppose dealing with those people took a huge amount of my time and my energy and all of that because I was very worried that the anxiety would spill over into the classroom and that there'd be negative energy from the point of view of the children (T5, Phase 2).*

And compared to being in lockdown, important admin tasks were taking personal time:

*Now that probably does impact on your well-being in terms of the evening you're taking more time in the evening to organise subs, organise the day ahead but it hasn't been anything that has caused me too much worry, you know? (P8, Phase 2)*

While one teacher did love the flexibility that the school closures allowed in terms of structuring the day, the general consensus from both principals and teachers was that personal well-being was enhanced by the return to school:

*I also had my own routine so I could choose to get up in the morning and go for coffee first and then start on the website. And I loved that. Having my own routine to me is like getting a big, big deep breath of fresh air, you know. No timetables. No bell. I loved that Mags. I really, really enjoyed that. You know? I did work hard but I loved that in the morning (T2, Phase 2).*

*It's definitely better being back and I think by being back in the same building there's an element of cohesion that happens naturally and I think that's benefitted everybody. So overall. even though I know some people would probably disagree with me, I think it has helped my well-being by being back (T1, Phase 2).*

*Yes, my well-being, it was definitely much better when the schools were open. I think just having to get up a six o'clock and have your morning routine, get out early, drive to school, all of that and be prepared. Even just from having to be showered and get your clothes ready for the morning and your lunch and all of that, maybe it's just me, but I love to have that routine and you know be heading out to work at the same time with coffee and yes being in school on time and getting prepared for the children coming in. And then, once three o'clock comes, you feel you've done a pretty, productive day and then you can kind of relax in the evening time and do whatever you want for yourself. And then, yes, it just was- I do think it had a positive impact on my well-being whereas when you're working from home, it's just, everything is muddled* 

*Teacher Self-Care Practices to Support Well-Being during the Covid 19 Pandemic DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110428*

*into one where you're living, working, exercising. It's a little bit more difficult to have that routine and it's hard to switch off too from the laptop, as you probably know (T8, Phase 2).*

*Yes, before Christmas, well-being was good. As I said, we were all buzzing to be back in school and doing the things that we wanted to do, you know? So I wasn't working too hard. The routine was there so I'd pick up my own kids from school every day at the normal time, you know? It was fine (P5, Phase 2).*

It is clear that the routine of the school days suited many people and most especially emotional well-being was increased by the return to school, the engagement with colleagues even though it remained curtailed and the physical engagement and relationship building with children on a daily basis. An emerging issue for principals on return to school was maintaining and managing staff relationships in the best and most appropriate way possible, given all of the physical restrictions imposed. Although personal well-being was supported by the return to school, some principals were very mindful of the fact that the working in pods and lack of socialising and mixing across the staff as would normally happen, did impact on well-being:

*I suppose, two things. I find it hard to step away from the friendships on staff. I've felt quite isolated and lonely this year…. And I've never been one to necessarily have colleagues as friends on the outside of school. But I do like the collegiality. The feeling you get when you have a laugh and a joke in the staffroom, in the playground, in the yard. You know, all those kind of things. When you nip into the class to pick up something or to drop something off and you can have a bit of a joke with your colleague. I've missed that very much…. I struggled, if I'm being really honest (P7, Phase 2).*

*Some of them that really found it taxing, I suppose, emotionally. You know, knowing that they were possibly bringing home something to the parents that they were looking after, to themselves and those types of things. From a staff perspective, I'm not sure if we ever really relaxed or got a sense of spontaneity or normality (P8, Phase 2).*

*But at the same time, you'd just love to be able to have something outside of school that you would get really excited about, you know? A social outlet. We don't have that at the moment so you're kind of living in a regimented way every day. Every day is the same. You're doing the same things to make sure you have things done, you know? (P8, Phase 2)*

*Everybody is just a bit fraught with the whole thing but everything settled down then and yes so it was okay. The only thing I would say though is that as time goes on, it's now the wearing of it, the drudgery of it, the time-consuming that all the hand washing takes and all the staggered lunch yards. Everybody is always on duty and nobody is getting to know each other. It's very sad for new teachers coming into the school. There's no interaction in the staffroom. There's no banter, there's no craic and we are really missing that. I mean it just goes to show we are social animals (P4, Phase 2).*

It is very clear from the data excerpts above that the social side of employment, in terms of colleagues and friends, fun and banter, the fun and friendships that are an innate feature of so many work environments support personal well-being is so many ways. The restrictions imposed on schools really did impact on this and on teacher well-being across the school.

Unanimously principals felt unsupported by the Department of Education and other organisations such as the Irish Primary Principal's Network. They very much felt they were left to their own devises in terms of managing schools in the Covid pandemic when they re-opened and this did impact on well-being as did negative media reports:

*We know that we're doing a good job and we know that we have a great community of staff, of children, of parents and it works. You know? I just focus on that and completely shut out all the noise that's in the press because we have to do that at the moment because it's so damning right now (P9, Phase 2).*

*Look, the same as every principal, the fact that the circulars, letters being dumped on you, without any consultation. … I can't even remember what it was we were meant to do, what email we got on Friday night (P8, Phase 2)*

*I feel there's been no support from the Department. Financially? Yes. But from a principal's point of view, very little support from the Department of Education. They're very quick at sending out dictates and circulars. … Yes, I mean I'm coping more than I thought I was going to be able to cope (laughs) because I think the worst two months were actually July and August because it was that lack of clarification, that anticipation, that not knowing what was going to happen. They were the two months that I think were the worst, you know? (P3, Phase 2).*

*But at the same time I do feel that we, as a profession, have been thrown under the bus a little bit by politicians*

*I still do feel very let down by some people in powers above me…. Just no job description. I'm finding myself being a procurement agent, a legal advisor, a child protection officer, a track and trace person... But that's not what I signed up for. I signed up to lead learning. I don't think I've actually lead learning once this year! (P10, Phase 2).*

Indeed, teachers commented on this also:

*No. No, absolutely not! Like, you know, getting an email say from an Education Centre and it saying, "Oh, look after your welfare." And you know these webinars that you may attend. You know, number one, you're probably too exhausted from a day's work to sit down for a webinar from seven to eight at night or whatever time it is. How is that going to help me? Now, don't get me wrong, maybe that's for somebody. That's just not my cup of tea (T5, phase 2).*

Reflecting on the work of Nodding's and the concept of caring for both the carer and the cared for person, it is very clear that teachers and in particular principal teachers did not feel that they were cared for or support by the Department of Education or other relevant unions. As a result, principals in particular felt the burden of responsibility for addressing staff well-being and were very mindful of same.

Principal's also found it ironic that they received numerous correspondences in relation to well-being for teachers while they felt no-one was supporting principal well-being:

*I do think there is the greatest irony of it all, you know, principals get emails every second of third day from the Department on well-being documents, pointing them in*  *Teacher Self-Care Practices to Support Well-Being during the Covid 19 Pandemic DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110428*

*this direction, pointing them in that direction and you know, the question does ask, We're supporting all the teachers' well-being, all the staff well-being, but who's looking after us and doing all these strategies for us? (laughs) … That is, I don't know if daunting is the right word, but that is a fear. You know? That that support isn't there if you need it (P4, Phase 2)*

Phase 2 data certainly confirms that while personal well-being is addressed in many ways, a positive school culture and climate and personal relationships and comradery on staff support well-being. Principal well-being in particular has the potential to be enhanced by a stronger and meaningful support network from organisations that work with teachers and also the perspective of the media can be very harsh on teachers as a professional. A very important reminder about well-being and the time and nourishment it takes to address well-being is reflected by T3 (phase 2);

*Everybody thinks it's easy blah, blah, blah. Well-being, no more than anything else, it takes work, commitment, consistency, effort, you know? To look after yourself in a consistent way takes effort. If you want to be more mindful, maybe you need to put in a couple of hours every week for weeks to see the benefit. And it's like nobody can actually do it for you. You have to be willing to try and access the resources and then you have to be able to commit and put in the time. Because it's not a pill that somebody can give you. I can't meditate for anybody else only myself. You know (T3, Phase 2).*

### **14. Summary of phase 2**

The excerpts from the interviews in Phase 2 highlight a number of important aspects of school life that support teacher well-being. In the first instance, the data highlighted that teachers really did relish the return to school and the opportunities created not only for meaningful teaching and learning, but also for their own social well-being, despite the restrictions in place. The lack of opportunities to support social and emotional well-being of staff imposed by restrictions became a very real issue for schools in September 2020. Meeting pupils and colleagues and the general buzz of a school building when there are pupils and activities taking place was found to be so positive for the research participants. The structure of the school day supported some of the participants in being able to separate out their work life and their personal time. It was interesting however, that given the experience of being able to engage in self-care practices across the pandemic that participants were eager and intent on embedding self-care and well-being practices as part of the daily routine. It was notable that the participants, and in particular the principals did not find the communication in relation to teacher well-being from the DES and other relevant agencies in any way helpful; it had the opposite effect of more e mails, more bombardment and was not seen in any way supportive to the participants. Now that practices in relation to Covid 19 have eased and schools are functioning with less restrictions, this should endeavour to support well-being and address issues of isolation and communication among and between staff.

#### **15. Discussion**

Although the study undertaken is a small-scale study in relation to teacher well-being and self-care practices, it provides both interesting and important data on the overall area of how teachers care for themselves. This article highlights in particular how self-care is so important for a profession that is demanding and where teachers give a lot of themselves to the job. While the first lockdown in March 2020 was a stressful time for teachers, in terms of adapting to new ways of working, in terms of worrying about pupils who had an opportunity to flourish in a nurturing school environment and in terms of the personal concerns that were common to us all at the time in terms of the potential impact of Covid on family and friends; the pandemic did provide an unexpected opportunity for teachers to address their own self-care issues, in a very welcome way. As the literature has highlighted, self-care is so important to the teaching profession; indeed teachers themselves have realised how importance addressing well-being is, as is illustrated in the phase 2 data, with both the teachers and principals endeavouring to incorporate strategies for their personal well-being into their daily routine. Teaching and leading demand energy and time. Given the present findings and their congruence with other findings, the challenge remains now in the post-covid era that teachers find the balance between the demands of the profession and sustaining personal well-being through self-care practices.
