Letter from the Chair

Grazzia Maria Mendoza Chirinos, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Teacher Well-Being: Why we all should care!

I am incredibly honored and excited to share my first letter as Chair of the Teacher Educator Interest Section. At this time I want to invite you to pause as we step into the warmth of summer, not just to rest, but to reflect. This very special issue of our TEIS Newsletter is both a call to action, and a gesture of care. It centers in a truth we often overlook or leave for later: the wellbeing of our educators which is not a luxury; it is the bedrock of our profession.

Brene Brown calls educators “our most daring leaders” in her essay she reminds us that leadership is not about titles or power, but about courage. Who better to embody courage consistently than educators. As educators we show up every day in districts, schools, hallways, communities, homes and yes virtual spaces to engage and connect with our learners, with a sense of care and appreciation, embracing all differences and elevating all voices. We continuously navigate shifting policies, embrace linguistic diversity and pursue our emotional labor with a grace that usually goes unacknowledged. With baggage that we leave outside the door we open our hearts ready to inspire, support and facilitate learning, no matter the circumstances, no matter the lack of resources, we show up and we do this every day!

This issue brings together voices from across the globe - Ukraine, Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, Japan, USA, and Kurdistan - to explore what it means to truly invest in teacher wellbeing in all its dimensions. Each article brings a compelling call for compassion as a sustaining force. We are urged to influence shifts and promote reforms to disturb the systemic structures that are preventing teacher wellbeing from being nourished consistently. These voices are not merely providing narratives, they are providing evidence on why teacher wellbeing cannot remain in the the peripheries, but should be seen as a global imperative.

What emerges in these timely contributions is a shared understanding: wellbeing is not the sole responsibility of the individual teacher. It is a collective endeavor and it is shaped by our institutional cultures, national policies and the daily interactions of our educators with their authorities, families and communities. If we want our educators to lead with empathy, creativity, and resilience, we must ensure they are supported, seen, and sustained.

As I reflect on my own journey as an educator I am reminded of all the times when despite my own personal situations I needed to provide my learners with a safe space to leave all the commotion behind and be in a space where they could be heard, recognized, valued and inspired. I also think about the times when training educators and I allowed them to open up to share their challenges, their experiences, their dismay and how many times they have to overcome the barriers.

As Chair of the TEIS, I am deeply moved by the courage and clarity of the educators and authors of this issue. Their work is providing clear insights and challenging us to move beyond performative gestures of appreciation and toward a more meaningful, systemic change that creates spaces for educators to thrive, not just survive. These authors are asking us to reimagine ways to support teacher wellbeing - not as an afterthought, but as a foundational, intentional commitment.

So, as you read through this issue, I encourage you to ask yourself: What does it mean to care and provide support in your context? What does it mean to lead with compassion? How are resilient spaces built, who does it? How can we become advocates to build cultures of trust, empathy and compassion? How can we start to create real support for “our most daring leaders?” Who do we want to become as families, communities, peers, researchers in building a safe space for educators to thrive in all of life's dimensions?

With all the best wishes and my deepest reflections,

Grazzia Maria Mendoza Chirinos

Chair TEIS 2025-2026

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Grazzia Maria Mendoza Chirinos is the current Chair of the Teacher Educator IS and is a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison