In the language classroom, the teacher’s state of mind can affect the moods, emotions, and motivation of learners (Mercer & Gregersen, 2020). In spite of the importance of teacher well-being, the issues and struggles of part-time teachers at universities are often not recognized and supported. During the current stressful times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, part-time teachers have needed to adapt and learn new technological and pedagogical skills within a short period of time in order to accommodate the online learning. Often, this has been without the sufficient support from their institutions. In order to determine the issues and needs of such tertiary level part-timers, a team of four language teachers conducted a survey with 96 part-time teachers. In this workshop, we will share findings of the survey as well as suggesting activities that can enhance teacher wellbeing during such uncertain times.
DR. WENDY M. GOUGH is an associate professor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Bunkyo Gakuin University. She primarily researches academic writing curriculum and developing communities of learners in writing classes. She has also researched the use of fieldwork for developing intercultural skills and communicative competence in English.
CHIYUKI YANASE is a lecturer at several universities including Keio and Chuo University. She has been teaching English for over 30 years at various institutions and holds an MSc in TESOL for Young Learners from Aston University in the U.K. Her current research interests focus on developing autonomy, creativity, and self-efficacy of learners as well as teacher wellbeing.
