Designing for Teacher Wellbeing

The Designing for Teacher Wellbeing workshop is part of a workshop series initiated by the Office for the Advancement of Teaching (OAT) under the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs of UP Diliman.

The goal of the OAT was to support UP faculty and staff in improving teaching and learning practices, with this workshop series responding to the need for wellbeing support especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Habi designed a 2.5 hour workshop that introduces a holistic view of wellbeing by unpacking its different dimensions (i.e. physical wellbeing, social wellbeing, intellectual wellbeing, financial wellbeing, etc.). This analysis of wellbeing served as a jump off point for using different design tools and methods to further understand and design for individual and organizational wellbeing.

Task

How might we provide a space for UP faculty and staff to approach wellbeing with more intention and openness?

Design

This is a workshop on approaching educator wellbeing holistically, by employing design tools and methods.

Client

Office for the Advancement of Teaching, University of the Philippines Diliman

Appreciating the Different Facets of Wellbeing

With a workshop topic that is broad and also very personal, we approached this Designing for Teacher Wellbeing Workshop with humanness. We focused the workshop activities on understanding the different dimensions of wellbeing, the power of self-awareness and the importance of having an enabling environment for wellbeing. We designed the workshop in a way that would be relatable, localized, and authentic for the faculty and staff of UP Diliman.

Fostering Self Reflection and Community Dialogues

Through self-reflection we invited the participants to reflect on the 8 Dimensions of Wellbeing. We then offered a space for dialogue where they can discuss their discoveries and realizations with other members of the group. The participants appreciated having this safe space to share individual experiences, but also to understand that there are shared experiences even with people they were meeting only for the first time during the workshop.

Approaching Wellbeing with Intentionality

Other than reflecting on their wellbeing journey, participants were also invited to see the links between personal and occupational wellbeing, reflecting on work activities that drain and energize them. Through surfacing these activities and noticing patterns, participants were reminded that, by looking into systems the organization or institution has in place, they have the ability to design for both individual and organizational wellbeing. The workshop ended with a community wellbeing pantry exercise wherein participants were invited to share their wellbeing tips and tricks with the larger group. In this part, we witnessed new connections being built among participants, as they offering a space for new friends to join their physical activities (i.e. Tai-chi, meditation) or access their favorite podcasts and playlists.