Support Teacher Wellness; Rejuvenate Your Teachers’ Lounge

September 30, 2024

Today’s K–12 teachers are burning out – and leaving the profession – faster than ever. What can schools do? Show more love for educators with a teachers’ lounge makeover that supports their mental health.

Granted, it may seem counterintuitive for schools to increase their investment in teachers’ downtime, but faculty and staff need a break room just as much as students need calm rooms and safe spaces—maybe even more. Here’s how good design and thoughtful furniture can transform your teacher lounge break room into a welcoming port in the storm.

Teachers are at a Breaking Point

According to the National Education Association, teacher burnout can be defined as “a condition in which an educator has exhausted the personal and professional resources necessary to do the job.”

It doesn’t take much digging to show how burnout affects K–12 educators. One article, “The top teacher burnout statistics of 2024,” aggregated data from the NEA, Education Week, Gallup and others. Here are some highlights, or rather, lowlights:

K–12 teachers are the #1 most burnt-out profession in the U.S.
44% of teachers in K–12 schools report often or always feeling burnout
90% of teachers claim that feeling burnt out is a serious problem
Over half of teachers say they will leave teaching sooner than originally planned

If that’s not enough, the U.S. Department of Education reports that nearly 50% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years. The highest rate is among elementary school teachers.

Stress Contagion: Educator Wellness Impacts Student Learning

Educators report plenty of reasons for not being at their best. Staff shortages, increased workload, lack of funding, disruptive students, parental expectations, and basic safety were a few reasons listed.

Paper, an educational support services company, serves more than 3 million students from about 300 school districts across the U.S. and Canada. The company’s website says this about the impact of teacher wellness on students:

“Although the burden of teacher burnout falls most heavily on the educator … it has long been demonstrated to affect students’ learning as well. When teachers don’t have the emotional support they need to perform at the top of their game, they’re unlikely to have the mental energy to offer that same support to students who need assistance.”

In other words, teacher stress is seemingly contagious for students. Paper reports that, in a sample of more than 400 elementary school students, researchers found that cortisol levels — the “stress hormone”— were the highest in students with teachers who were experiencing significant burnout or emotional exhaustion.

Tips for Designing a Better Teachers' Lounge

In the long run, addressing the root causes of teacher burnout is essential. A more immediate tactic is creating a safe, adult space for teachers to decompress, connect and catch-up. That touchstone is the teachers’ lounge which is one of the most important yet overlooked rooms for educators and staff.

Below, we focus on two aspects of achieving a new or improved teacher lounge: 1) Establishing goals for the space, and 2) Selecting teacher lounge furniture, based on those goals. [Note: We’ll leave the coffee pot vs. Keurig decision up to others.]

Set Goals - What is the role of your teachers' lounge?

Maximize the available space by asking current and potential lounge visitors what THEY want. Do they want to catch up on work-related tasks over lunch? Do they want to simply relax with a quick snack? Are they looking for a quiet refuge, or a place to chat with peers? Maybe, it’s all of the above, depending on the day.

Versatility - Create Activity Zones

Classrooms have different activity zones; so should the break room. Avoid limiting the space to food prep and dining. Create a versatile, multipurpose environment that accommodates different uses, both professional and personal.

Comfort - Mix Functionality with Tranquility

Make the space functional enough for teachers who want to write their lesson plans. But also make it comfortable for those who want a place to close their eyes and get centered while students are at recess.

Be sure to observe how your existing breakroom is being used – or not. Where do people migrate? One teacher reported that, at her elementary school, some colleagues grab quiet breaks in the mothers’ nursing lounge (if it’s empty). If that’s a regular occurrence, take note.

Convenience - Keep Things Simple and Practical

The teacher’s lounge shouldn’t be an obstacle course of clunky tables and chairs. Choose mobile furniture that’s easy to quickly scoot into place or out of the way. Also provide storage for personal belongings, shared breakroom supplies and creature comforts. Spread out spots to power devices, too.

Inclusivity - Create an Equal-Opportunity Oasis

Open the doors to all staff, not just teachers, who need to unwind. Then be sure the space offers something for everyone – adults of different shapes and sizes; extroverts and introverts; people with sensory and physical differences, etc.

Select Furniture: What Pieces will help accomplish the goals?

The teachers’ lounge (if there is one) shouldn’t be the land of misfit furniture: the dining table that chronically wobbles; the sofa that sags; uncomfortable, mismatched chairs that everyone avoids.

Ask teachers and staff what layout and furniture would incentivize them to use the room for wellness. What’s working, and what’s missing, in the current space? Just like students, adults want choices of where, when and how to work, relax and socialize.

Wait a sec. — Smith System Furniture Works for Adults?

Yes, and not just our teacher desks. Smith System remains a highly trusted, leading supplier of K–12 furniture. But the upper-end sizes of our quality tables, comfortable chairs (including soft, upholstered options), and customized storage have long been a popular choice for adults, too. Our furniture for student cafe and lounge spaces and learning commons frequently crossover into the teachers’ lounge and breakrooms.

Below are options for teachers’ lounge furniture from Smith System.

Tables

Breakroom tables provide a place to sit, enjoy some sustenance, and perch a laptop or phone. Provide options for teachers who want to sit solo and those who want to pair up. The staff lounge is a common place to problem solve or simply process the hectic day with colleagues.

Smith offers a large line-up of meeting tables. Its Cafe Table line is a versatile choice for casual meeting areas. Schools can choose from a variety of shapes, bases and heights, including standing, sitting or café models. Surface power is optional, either in flat or dome style.

55011_Flowform_Learn_Lounge_Double_Seat_Apple

Seating

Give teachers and staff many options to rest their upright bodies and tired feet, without sacrificing ergonomic support. The Groove® Noodle Chair has patented suspension below its seat pan that allows it to tilt slightly in all directions. It’s like sitting on a large ball with the added advantages of more stability and back support. For café table seating, look for adjustable height chairs with a foot rest, like the Numbers™ Adjustable Height Stool.

Soft, upholstered seating is a great way to add comfort. Consider the casual options in Flowform® Learn Lounge. The great ergonomics of the Flowform® Soft Rocker make it irresistible, especially when paired with the Flowform® Learn Lounge Ottoman with built-in surface power. Differentiate activity zones (dining, quiet space, etc.) by adding one or more of the Flowform® Learn Lounge Screen. Their partial height creates a just-enough barrier.

Storage

Make it easy to be at ease. Provide storage that helps keep the lounge clutter-free and peaceful. Teachers and staff – especially those with no dedicated room – will appreciate secure storage for personal items. Cabinets work well for shared breakroom supplies

Whiteboard

Teachers are communicators, by nature. Give them a fun, nondigital place to share an announcement or some good teacher humor. Smith’s Planner® Studio Mobile Whiteboard provides a two-sided laminated writing surface with a small shelf on both sides to hold markers and erasers.

We're Always Ready to Support Teacher and Student Wellness

There’s no denying the stress educators face. Supporting teachers’ mental health and wellness isn’t a want. It has become a must, said Anna Aguilar, an elementary teacher in the Twin Rivers Unified school district in Sacramento, CA.

“If we value mental health, it should come from the adults,” Aguilar said. “Adults should put on our [oxygen] masks first, so we can help our children. If we’re not o.k., it’s going to be very, very difficult to do that.”

Contact your Smith System dealer to learn how your school can better support teacher wellness. We can help you create a new teachers’ lounge or rejuvenate your neglected one. It’s time to show the love.

Resources

DevlinPeck.com: Teacher Burnout Statistics: Why Teachers Quit in 2024

District Administration: 5 ways to create a more functional and inviting teachers’ lounge

EdWeek: Here’s What Teachers Say They Need Most to Manage Stress, Mental Health

NEA: Getting Serious About Teacher Burnout

Paper.com: Teacher burnout also impacts students. Here’s how.