Navigating the School Year: A Teacher’s Guide to Mental Wellness

Use Caution: High-Speed School Year In Progress

We blinked and it’s November. With the school year racing along and the holiday season quickly approaching, you might find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of activities and responsibilities. Remember it’s important to pause and pay attention to your own mental and emotional well-being as the demands and urgencies of each day accumulate. 

To support you in staying grounded and flourishing until the winter break, we’ve compiled a list of 20 daily check-in questions designed to help you remain conscious of your own well-being while navigating the challenges of the school year. Rather than using the list in its entirety each day, feel free to pick a single daily question in whichever order works for you. 

The 20 Mental Health Check-In Questions for Teachers

1. Hold still for a moment and recognize the biggest thing on your mind.  What is it, in a sentence? Why is it competing so hard for your attention right now?
2. In the past week, what repeated feeling(s) and thought(s) have you most frequently noticed yourself having? What triggered them?
3. When you think of the person(s) providing you with the most support emotionally at school, whose face(s) comes to mind? How do they support you? Is there an area where support is missing?
4. Who comes to mind when you think of who gives you emotional support at home? How do they meaningfully support you? Is there an area where support is missing?
5. Name a situation, relationship, or event you are dreading to face right now. What makes it such a challenge to face? What do you know you need to do?
6. When you are feeling overwhelmed, who do you call or text for support? How do they come alongside and help you?
7. When was the last time you really had a good, hard laugh? When was the last time you stopped to have a serious cry? What led to each of these moments?
8. What have you seen or experienced in the past week that made you excited, inspired, or joyful? What discouraged you the most this week?
9. What is frustrating or angering you that you truly have no power to change? What do you need, to help yourself let it go/release it?
10. How many nights this week have you gotten a decent night’s sleep?
11. How many days this week have you intentionally eaten good, wholesome food? How frequently have you eaten on the run?
12. What do you want/hope to see or experience, to show you that you are really making a difference?
13. When you make a mistake or a lesson plan does not go as you had hoped, what are the things you tell yourself? How many of these things you tell yourself are truly constructive?
14. How long has it been since you went out for the sole purpose of enjoyment and relaxation? When you went, were you able to enjoy it and truly relax?
15. How long has it been since you had an entire day or evening to yourself, to detach and unwind?
16. If someone asked your best friend if you are taking care of yourself, what would they say? How would they know?
17. What do you keep telling yourself you need to do when you have the time? 
18. Who knows you best and tells you the truth, and how long has it been since you have talked to them? Listened to them?
19. How close are you to giving up or questioning if it’s all worth it? Who can you talk to if you are getting close to feeling this way now?
20. What would you tell someone you love, if they were thinking/feeling the same way you are thinking/feeling now?

The Ripple Effect: Teacher and Students Thriving Together

These questions are meant to spark curiosity and self-compassion, encouraging you to be as attuned and mindful of your inner world as you are of the environment and events unfolding around you. Doing so will help you to cultivate a classroom where patience, creativity, and compassion thrive—ultimately enhancing the educational experience for you and your students.

About TLC

The Lincoln Center for Family and Youth (TLC) is a social enterprise company serving the Greater Philadelphia Area. Among its five divisions, TLC offers School-based Staffing Solutions, Mobile Coaching and Counseling, and Heather’s Hope: A Center for Victims of Crime. These major programs are united under TLC’s mission to promote positive choices and cultivate meaningful connections through education, counseling, coaching, and consulting.

About the Author

MaryJo Burchard (Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership) is co-founder and principal of Concord Solutions, a Virginia-based consultancy firm focused on helping leaders and organizations thrive while facing major disruption. Concord Solutions offers consulting, coaching, training, research, and keynote speaking surrounding trauma-informed leadership and assessing and building change readiness, trust, and belonging.