From Emerging Supporters to Seasoned Mentors: Teachers’ Well-Being and Responses to Student Wellness Needs Across Career Phases

Educators report feeling overwhelmed by shifts in their working conditions and responsibilities since the pandemic, leading to significant levels of burnout and reduced professional satisfaction. Beyond traditional instructional roles, teachers are increasingly expected to serve as first responders to students’ wellness needs, manage complex behavioral issues, and provide ongoing emotional support. While teachers’ instructional practices, ability to manage classroom dynamics, and engagement in leadership roles evolve over time, findings here show that their well-being and approach to supporting students’ wellness needs shift across different career phases as well. This study examines, via a mixed methods approach, how K-12, full-time, U.S. teachers’ career phases relate to their well-being and responses to student wellness needs. Findings disclose distinct reports on responses to student wellness needs and perspectives of well-being across teachers’ career phases: early-career, mid-career, late mid-career, and veteran. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.