The Wellness Warrior: How Coaches Can Champion The Systemic Shift in Educator Wellness

by Torie Mollett

The term “self-care” has made its debut societal pilgrimage from revolutionary self-preservation powerhouse to platitude. In the beginning, I remember the relief that finally, we were recognizing the need to prioritize our own well-being. We were given the gift of saying “no” and holding space, only for the phrase to be warped into an obligation, pushing the blame back on those who are already far too overwhelmed and overstimulated.

Have you ever been personally victimized by the phrase “Well, are you practicing self-care?” after confiding a problem, issue, gripe, or feeling to someone you thought might listen—or better, offer assistance in tackling the issue—and left the situation feeling both unheard and unchanged? Then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The "Teacher Guilt" Trap

In schools, this dynamic is amplified by "Teacher Guilt". Teachers are often reminded to take care of themselves, yet the systems that surround their work often treat their dedication and passion as an infinite resource. When we, as coaches, echo the standard “fill your cup” advice without acknowledging the bucket’s lacking structural integrity, we risk becoming part of the noise, not the solution.

This is where the Institutional Shift happens.

We have to move the conversation from individual maintenance to organizational health. As Instructional Coaches, we are in a unique position to influence the weather in the building. As we work to become more aware in our coaching practices, we can move from coaching educators to “self-care” their way out of systemic burnout and start advocating for environments that foster a sense of support and wellness from the very beginning.

From Platitude to Practice

How do we begin to shift the narrative? We stop treating wellness as a weekend activity and start treating it as a retention strategy.

1. Validate, Don't "Fix": When a teacher vents, resist the urge to offer a quick fix or a self-care hack. Acknowledge the difficulty. Sometimes, the best coach can show up, listen, and agree that the workload is heavy. Sometimes we just need someone to stand in the chaos with us for just a moment.
2. Advocate for Margin: Look at the calendar with your admin lens. Where can we buy back time? Can a meeting become an email? Can a PD session be shortened or remixed to allow for grading? Offer to cover recess duty, step in for a read-aloud, or facilitate a quick activity so the teacher can have an extra 20 minutes of prep time.  This is Institutional Shifting in action, and by doing this, we are saying: I value your time.
3. Build Community Care: We need to create spaces where educators can support one another, so the burden doesn't fall squarely on the individual. Create an after-school session dedicated to crafts, fun activities, or simply networking with colleagues. Launch a book club or reality-show viewing club. Help to provide a space that helps educators connect as humans.

Let’s Get Real About Support

Cringe if you must, but we actually can't pour from an empty cup, and we certainly can't help others fill theirs if we are running on fumes. We have to coach by example.  To help us navigate this season without the band-aid positivity, we have curated two events this month focused on honest connection and practical support.

• Free Webinar: Self-Care Strategies for Coaches (Dec 12) Join us for a session strictly for you. We aren't just going to tell you to breathe; we are going to identify the biggest challenges we are all facing right now and share realistic "hacks" from the community.
• All-Access Roundtable: Reflecting on Growth (Dec 15) If you need a space to just be, join us. This is a reflective session designed to celebrate the journey. We are asking members to share one personal or professional growth moment from the year—no band-aid positivity, just real wins.

Let’s stop warping self-care into a chore and start building systems that actually care for us.

💾 Want more? 

• 📚 Read
  • Domain 2 of the Core of Coaching Framework: Sustainable Change
  • Leading the Whole Teacher by Allyson Aspey
• 🔊 Listen to the Restart Recharge podcast
• 🎬 Watch (EDU Coach Network All-Access Members only)
  • Free Webinar: Self-Care Strategies for Coaches (Dec 12) (Open to anyone!) 
  • All-Access Roundtable: Reflecting on Growth (Dec 15)
  • Workshop: Build your Personal Well Being Plan (Nov. 2025)