EstudiANDO Strengthens Teacher Well-Being to Promote Safer and More Inclusive Classrooms in Ecuador

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EstudiANDO Strengthens Teacher Well-Being to Promote Safer and More Inclusive Classrooms in Ecuador

EstudiANDO Strengthens Teacher Well-Being to Promote Safer and More Inclusive Classrooms in Ecuador

The EstudiANDO education team in a wellness workshop at the Juan Montalvo Educational Institution. Photo by Michelle Alvarado, © RET International

Article by Michelle Alvarado, Communications Officer for RET in Ecuador

QUITO, ECUADOR – More than 17,000 teachers from public educational institutions participated in “Renovamos Sueños”, a day of integration and motivation organized by the Undersecretary of the Metropolitan District of Quito of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. At this meeting, the EstudiANDO Program promoted socio-emotional well-being tools  for teachers to strengthen the skills that contribute to building safe, participatory, and inclusive learning environments.

Participants performing a synchronized gesture during an event, with one man wearing a hat and a woman in a headband, both in white shirts, surrounded by an audience in a gymnasium.
A group of diverse individuals clapping and showing support in a crowded setting, wearing matching jackets with red stripes.

Teachers performing self-regulation exercises. Photo by Michelle Alvarado, © RET International

The technical team of EstudiANDO accompanied the education professionals through activities and dynamics focused on emotional self-awareness, self-regulation, self-care practices, empathic communication and positive emotional climate.  

The purpose was to provide tools that can be incorporated into daily practice and that strengthen the socio-emotional skills of each teacher. 

A smiling woman wearing a blue vest holds two informational flyers in a crowded indoor venue. The background is filled with people in various colored shirts, some holding balloons.

Ismenia Iñiguez, from the EstudiANDO education team, with materials delivered to teachers. Photo by Michelle Alvarado, © RET International

Tools to care for education professionals

During the day, teachers participated in exercises aimed at recognizing their emotions, managing stressful situations and strengthening self-care practices. The activities also addressed the importance of empathic communication and generating a positive emotional climate in the classroom.

In addition, EstudiANDO delivered the Teacher Self-Regulation Guide, a resource with more tools for daily use in the classroom that includes a weekly self-regulation plan for the classroom.  

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

Click here to download the Teacher Self-Regulation Guide.

Three women stand together in a crowded event, smiling for the camera. They are dressed in formal attire, with one in a patterned blouse, another in a light-colored suit, and the third in a black jacket with a white shirt. The background shows a group of attendees, some holding up signs and balloons.

María Antonia González, program director of RET in Ecuador; Gilda Alcívar García, Minister of Education, Sports and Culture; and Adriana Sánchez, Undersecretary of Education, Sports and Culture. Photo by Michelle Alvarado, © RET International

The importance of teacher well-being in the classroom

Teachers’ socio-emotional well-being is a key factor that directly affects pedagogical practice, the quality of classroom interactions and the construction of student bonds. Thus, strengthening these capacities allows us to move towards educational spaces where respect, empathy and participation are part of learning experiences.

“A teacher who has self-awareness, self-regulation and self-care resources is better able to manage stressful situations, respond empathetically to the needs of students and promote safe, participatory and respectful learning environments,” says Ismenia Iñiguez, from the Program’s Education team.   

About the EstudiANDO Program

This activity is part of the training itinerary that the program carries out with students, education professionals, authorities and families in Pichincha, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Manabí and Sucumbíos. 

“From the EstudiANDO Program we work to help children and adolescents to access, stay, learn and develop in inclusive, safe and protective educational spaces. We know that, to make it possible, it is also essential to take care of and strengthen those who build these spaces every day,” says María Antonia González, Director of RET International, the leading organization of the EstudiANDO Consortium. 

The program seeks to strengthen educational inclusion, resilience, and protection of children and adolescents, promoting safe and equitable learning opportunities for students from refugee, migrant, and host communities in Ecuador. 

“EstudiANDO: Inclusion Goes to School” is a program funded by Education Cannot Wait, led by RET International, in consortium with Plan International, ChildFund Ecuador and the Instituto Iberoamericano del Patrimonio Natural y Cultural del Convenio Andrés Bello.

Its objective is to strengthen the resilience, educational inclusion and protection of children and adolescents, promoting safe environments free of violence.

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