Definitions.

The capacity to make thoughtful choices and influence one’s path towards meaning in life. In schools, agency grows when students and educators feel empowered to contribute, take initiative, and shape their learning together.

Source OECD. Learning Compass 2030.

The simple human ability to notice what is happening within ourselves and around us. When awareness deepens, we begin to see our thoughts, emotions, and relationships more clearly.

Source American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology

The ability to gently place our mind on what matters in the present moment. Attention supports learning by allowing students and teachers to listen, reflect, and engage fully.

Source American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology

The experience of feeling welcomed, valued, and part of a community. When belonging is present, people naturally show up more fully and contribute more generously.

Source OECD PISA Global Competence Framework.

A state of exhaustion caused by prolonged, unmanaged stress at work, marked by depleted energy, growing distance from the job, and a fading sense of effectiveness. In schools, burnout is what happens when a teacher keeps giving with nothing left to draw from, and it is the condition this Foundation exists to prevent.

Source World Health Organization. Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases.

The ability to notice suffering and respond with care. Compassion reminds us that learning happens best in environments where people look out for one another.

Source Stanford CCARE

The quiet spark that invites us to ask questions and explore the unknown. Curiosity keeps learning alive and helps students see the world as a place of discovery.

Source Kashdan, T. et al. (2018). The Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale.

The ability to recognize and express emotions with clarity and care. When students and educators can name their emotions, communication becomes more open and respectful.

Source Brackett, M., Rivers, S., & Salovey, P. Emotional Intelligence in Education.

The skill of working wisely with our emotions so they support learning rather than overwhelm it. Emotional regulation helps people remain steady during moments of challenge.

Source Gross, J. (1998). The Emerging Field of Emotion Regulation.

The ability to understand and appreciate another person’s experience. Empathy allows students and educators to meet one another with respect and understanding.

Source American Psychological Association

A condition in which people feel supported, connected, and able to grow. Flourishing includes well-being, purpose, and meaningful relationships.

Source Keyes, C. (2002). From Languishing to Flourishing.

The practice of recognizing the many ways our lives are supported by others. Gratitude strengthens relationships and brings attention to what is working well.

Source Emmons, R., & McCullough, M. (2003). Counting Blessings vs Burdens.

Simple actions that help others. In school communities, small acts of kindness often create the conditions for deeper trust and collaboration.

Source Curry, O. et al. (2018). Kindness and Well-Being.

A state of wellbeing in which a person can cope with life's normal stresses, work with purpose, and contribute to their community. In schools, mental health belongs to students and educators alike, and neither can be supported in isolation from the other.

Source World Health Organization. Mental Health: Strengthening Our Response.

A shared sense that people can speak honestly, ask questions, and make mistakes without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

Source Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams.

A habit of returning to something on purpose, again and again, rather than doing it once: a breath, a pause, a moment of quiet reflection. In schools, a practice is what turns an idea like mindfulness from something read about into something lived.

Source No external citation — used here in its everyday sense (a repeated activity), not a specific research construct.

The quality of being fully here: attentive to this moment and the people in it, rather than pulled toward what just happened or what comes next. In a classroom, presence is what a student notices before a single word is spoken.

Source No external citation — used here in its everyday sense, not a specific research construct.

A sense of direction and meaning that gives a person's daily effort somewhere to go. In schools, purpose is what turns a hard day into one still worth showing up for, for teachers and students alike.

Source Ryff, C. (1989). Happiness Is Everything, or Is It? Explorations on the Meaning of Psychological Well-Being.

The habit of learning from experience by pausing to observe, reflect, and adjust. For educators, reflection helps teaching evolve with care and intention.

Source Schön, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner.

The ability to recover and continue growing through difficulty. Resilience often develops through supportive relationships and meaningful challenges.

Source American Psychological Association – Resilience

The ability to recognize one’s emotions, thoughts, strengths, and limitations. Self-awareness is a starting point for thoughtful action and growth.

Source CASEL Social Emotional Learning Framework

The shared values, relationships, and everyday habits that shape how a school actually feels to the people inside it, beyond whatever a handbook says. School culture is built in small, repeated moments — how a hallway greeting sounds, how a mistake is handled — until they become the norm.

Source No external citation — used here in its everyday sense; the related research literature more often uses the term "school climate."

The body and mind's response to demands that feel like they exceed our ability to cope. A little stress can sharpen focus, but the kind that never lets up wears teachers and students down over time.

Source American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology

A student's sense of being supported, safe, and able to grow academically, socially, and emotionally at school. It sits alongside teacher wellbeing rather than apart from it: a classroom rarely offers one without the other.

Source OECD (2017). PISA 2015 Results (Volume III): Students' Well-Being.

Confidence that others will act with reliability, integrity, and care. Trust grows slowly through everyday actions and is essential to strong communities.

Source American Psychological Association – Trust

The conditions and inner resources that let a teacher do the work with steadiness and care, and still have enough left over at day's end. This Foundation starts here because a teacher's wellbeing does not stop with one adult: it shapes the classroom, reaches every student, and ripples into their families and communities over time.

Source OECD Education Working Papers. Viac, C., & Fraser, P. (2020). Teachers' Well-Being: A Framework for Data Collection and Analysis.

A state in which people feel supported, capable, and able to live meaningful lives. In schools, well-being includes both supportive conditions and the skills that help people navigate life.

Source World Health Organization – Promoting Well-Being

The ability to understand situations deeply, see multiple perspectives, and reflect with clarity and openness. It integrates insight and compassion, guiding balanced judgments and actions for the greater good.

Source Ardelt, M. (2003). Empirical Assessment of Wisdom.