What educators are telling us, again and again

Over the past few years, I’ve collected thousands of pieces of staff voice data. Not through anonymous surveys alone, but through real conversations. Small groups. Honest moments. The kind where people finally say what they’ve been holding in.

Here’s the truth.
While every school has its own context, the challenges educators are facing are mostly universal. And importantly, they’re not problems schools need to wait for the system to fix.

They are problems schools can solve.

The five most common drivers of staff wellbeing

When schools ask how to improve staff wellbeing, these are the same themes that surface every time. Not wellbeing programs. Not another session. Conditions.

1. Clear and easy-to-find processes for how we do things here

Staff don’t want to hunt for answers.

What they don’t need is a 50-page handbook that no one opens once term starts. What they do need is a clear, central place where processes live and make sense.

That means:

• Simple, clearly named processes

• Written steps alongside short video walkthroughs

• Systems that show exactly how to do the task, not who to ask

When processes are easy to find and follow, cognitive load reduces. Frustration drops. Time is saved. Wellbeing improves.

2. Clear expectations for how meetings should be run

Time is one of the loudest wellbeing concerns educators raise. And meetings are often at the centre of that frustration.

The issue isn’t meeting frequency alone. It’s the lack of shared expectations around:

• Purpose

• Structure

• Preparation

• Follow-up

Without agreed norms, meetings drift. They expand. They repeat. And staff leave feeling they need more time, not better use of it.

Clear meeting protocols don’t make work harder. They make time more productive.

3. Middle leader role clarity

Middle leaders sit in one of the most pressured roles in schools. They’re translating vision into action while juggling expectations from every direction.

Too often, they’re left to work it out themselves.

For senior leaders, this is a key responsibility. Role clarity for middle leaders means:

• Clear expectations about what, how, and why

• Explicit modelling of what good looks like

• Ongoing support and development, not just responsibility

When middle leaders feel confident and clear, tension reduces across teams. Consistency increases. And leadership becomes sustainable.

4. Roles, responsibilities, and job clarity

This is one of the strongest drivers of workplace wellbeing.

Schools cannot continue to add more without reviewing what already exists. When roles are unclear or outdated, workload balloons and resentment builds quietly.

This work requires schools to:

• Review roles for purpose and impact

• Identify duplication or tasks that no longer serve learning

• Be willing to let go of what no longer fits

Clarity here isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what matters, well.

5. Student engagement and learning

This is the most complex, and often the most emotional.

Staff wellbeing is deeply connected to what happens in classrooms. When student engagement is inconsistent, everything feels harder.

This isn’t about behaviour in isolation. It’s about:

• Shared expectations for learning and engagement

• Consistency across classrooms

• Tools and structures that support self-regulation

When schools align on how learning looks and feels, pressure eases. Teachers feel supported. Students benefit too.

So what does this mean?

If your school is serious about improving staff wellbeing, start here.

Not with another wellbeing session.
Not with another initiative layered on top.

Start with the conditions.

• Clear systems people can read, watch, and follow

• Meeting structures that respect time and purpose

• Middle leaders supported to lead with confidence

• Roles reviewed for clarity, efficiency, and impact

• Consistent approaches to student engagement and learning

This is the work that actually changes how it feels to work in a school.

A final thought

Staff wellbeing doesn’t improve through good intentions alone. It improves when clarity replaces confusion, consistency replaces chaos, and systems support people to do their work well.

If these foundations are missing, start there. That’s where the real difference is made.

If you’d like more practical thinking on staff wellbeing, leadership, and work design, you can subscribe to the newsletter for regular insights and reflections.