Find your people.
Teaching has never been a job you can do solo.
And yet, so many teachers feel like they’re carrying the load on their own.
We spend a huge part of our lives at school, planning lessons, managing behaviour, supporting students, meeting deadlines, and showing up day after day with care and energy. When the relationships around us are strong, teaching feels lighter. When they’re not, the job can quickly become overwhelming.
This isn’t just about being “friendly” at work.
The quality of our relationships directly affects our well-being, motivation, and ability to stay in the profession.
We Are Wired for Connection
Humans are designed for community. Our brains and bodies respond positively to connection and support. Research shows that positive social relationships at work reduce stress, improve mental health, and even strengthen our immune and cardiovascular systems.
On the flip side, feeling isolated or unsupported at work activates the same areas of the brain as physical pain. That’s how powerful connection is — and how damaging its absence can be.
In teaching, where emotional labour is high, relationships aren’t a bonus.
They’re a protective factor.
Why Good Colleagues Matter So Much
Strong workplace relationships provide:
Support during tough moments
Teaching has hard days. Behaviour issues, parent conversations, workload pressure, self-doubt. Having someone you trust to debrief with, laugh with, or simply sit beside can calm your nervous system and help you reset.
A safe space to bounce ideas
Good colleagues are sounding boards. They help you problem-solve, plan better lessons, and gain perspective. Shared thinking improves confidence and creativity, and it reminds you that you don’t have to have all the answers.
A sense of belonging
Feeling valued, understood, and included at work increases job satisfaction and commitment. When we as teachers and educators feel connected, we’re more likely to stay, grow, and thrive in the profession.
Energy instead of depletion
Positive interactions give energy. They lift your mood, boost motivation, and help you finish the day feeling supported rather than drained.
Community Doesn’t Have to Look One Way
Your community might be:
A colleague down the corridor who checks in
A small group you trust in the staffroom
A mentor who understands the season you’re in
Teachers in other schools who teach the same subject and “get it”
What matters isn’t how big it is, but that it’s real.
Teaching Is Better Together
When teachers work in trusting, respectful relationships, schools function better. Collaboration improves learning, innovation increases, and well-being improves across the board.
Strong relationships don’t remove the challenges of teaching — but they make them manageable.
A Gentle Reminder
If you’re feeling stretched, disconnected, or flat, it’s not a personal failure.
It’s a signal to reconnect.
Reach out.
Nurture the relationships around you.
Seek out your people — inside or outside your school.
Because teaching was never meant to be done alone.
And community might just be one of the most powerful well-being tools we have.
