Teacher Wellbeing in Inclusive Classrooms

Today I had the pleasure of spending the day in Málaga (Southern Spain) with a wonderful cohort of Erasmus teachers from Warsaw, exploring a topic that is very close to my heart: teacher wellbeing in inclusive classrooms.

 

I was struck by the openness and generosity with which everyone shared their experiences. Although we come from different educational systems and cultural backgrounds, the challenges of supporting diverse learners while caring for ourselves as educators are similar.

 

 

Throughout the session, we reflected on the role of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and empathy in creating environments where every participant feels seen and valued.

We travelled through the different networks in the brain that get activated during learning processes, with an emphasis on how sensory and motor networks influence cognitive networks, and the impact that nasal breathing, movement, attention and motivation has in experiential learning approaches.

Amongst others, we learned about the father of neuroscience and neuroanatomy, Nobel Price in Medicine Santiago Ramón y Cajal, about mindfulness, self-compassion, affective neuroscience and neuroplasticity. Some practices were guided to help teachers remain grounded and resilient amid the demands of daily life.

 

 

We had fun moments like this remarkable soft-skills activity inspired by Agatha Christie’s delightful “bloodless” seaside mystery Afternoon at the Seaside where participants took very active parts. Working in small groups, participants pieced together clues while consciously focusing on active listening, empathy, perspective-taking, and collaborative problem-solving.

 

The light-hearted mystery setting reminded us that inclusive practice is built not only through strategies but also through the human skills of curiosity, kindness, and cooperation.

 

The session closed up with this Lake meditation with the intention to hold in our awareness all the qualities of mind and all the qualities of body.

 Inspired by UMass MBSR All-day February 2026

 

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Exchanges like these reaffirm my belief that teacher wellbeing is not an optional extra. I left the workshop feeling both grateful and inspired. Thank you to ACCIPE Spain for organising this event and to our Erasmus colleagues from Warsaw for their warmth, thoughtful contributions, and insights shared.