Research shows that peer coaching is an effective preventer of burnout and vicarious traumatization. TTE’s version of peer coaching is called Teacher Support Groups, or TSGs.

What are teacher support groups?

They are small groups of up to 6 teachers that meet weekly and talk about what’s difficult about teaching. TSGs are not coffee klatches. And they’re not bitch sessions. They’re Professional Learning Communities devoted to figuring out what is going on psychodynamically in classrooms.

Psychodynamics: Having to do with emotions (psychology) and relationships (dynamics).

Teacher Support Groups are different from any other mentoring or PD teachers get because they focus on the bedrock of teaching: relationships. In TSGs, teachers help each other attune their relationships with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators so as to get the good work of schooling done — and, by the way, to get immediate relief from stress and anxiety.

Here are some testimonials from teachers who have participated in TSGs.

It’s pretty simple to organize a TSG for yourself. Just click here for the Do It Yourself Teacher Support Group Manual — the DIY TSG Manual — and you’re off and running!