Welcome to Time for Teachers
Welcome to Time for Teachers, a registered non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of teachers across South Africa. We provide short-term and long-term stress management workshops for teachers.
If you are a teacher and are interested in our services click here
If you want to help by donating or volunteering click here
Time for Teachers – Our story
The founders of Time for Teachers have worked in various schools throughout South Africa in teaching and learner support roles. During this time, we noticed two things:
1. Teachers work incredibly hard to support our countries children, and they do this while facing extreme stress daily.
2. The teachers do all the caring and supporting and can benefit from some care and support for themselves.
Initially we responded to teacher requests. We offered scattered efforts to provide support. We then took the bold step to formalize these efforts and create an effective and supportive intervention to teachers throughout the country. It is our belief that teachers deserve care and compassion. We also believe that teachers who can care for themselves are better able to care for others. It is this ripple effect that we aim to set in motion.
Vision
To provide evidence-based effective psychological support services to teachers throughout South Africa.
Teachers who are better able to care for their own psychological needs can have a positive impact on the learners in their care.
Mission
Our mission is two-fold
1. Teacher self-help workshops
Workshops will be delivered as brief interventions in schools (5-7 sessions). The workshops are based on a program called Self Help Plus designed by the World Health Organisation. These workshops have demonstrated beneficial mental health outcomes and have been adapted to address the specific needs of teachers in South Africa.
2. Long term teacher mental health support
The aim of Time for Teachers is to establish and maintain a network of psychologists who will offer long term therapy at reduced rates to our organisation. This will enable our organisation to pay for long term mental health support free of charge to teachers.
Values
Inclusivity
Qualifying criteria to access our services will be kept to a minimum. This will include access for teachers and support staff in both public, private schools and ECD centers. The goal is to provide broad access to psychological support.
Impact
We will use empirically-driven methods. Seeking to provide the most benefit at the lowest cost, enabling us to service the highest number of individuals.
Evidence Based
We will constantly collect data to evaluate the interventions being provided to ensure they are valid, reliable and effective.
Free teacher services
We strive to keep all services at very low cost or free to teachers wherever possible.
Our Team
Cheryl Malek
Cheryl is a Counselling Psychologist in private practice. Cheryl serves as the Chair-elect for the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science (ACBS) South Africa and sits on the Developing Nations Committee for ACBS International. Cheryl is a research associate at the University of Johannesburg. She has a background in education and teacher support. After years of running workshops and interventions for teachers she became concerned about the lack of mental health support and awareness despite the stressful working conditions in schools.
Camilla Montgomery
Camilla is an educator who has been teaching for over ten years in both the private and public sector in South Africa. She has been involved with working with teachers from the positions of Grade Head and School Governing Body Member. Camilla is passionate about ensuring children are learning, engaged and motivated in the classroom while ensuring that teachers maintain good mental, physical and emotional health.
Heather Kayton
Heather is a researcher and lecturer in the field of education. Before moving into research, she taught at primary schools in Gauteng for seven years. She is passionate about teacher training and ensuring teachers are well equipped for the complex challenges they face in the classroom. She is currently completing her PhD in Education at the University of Oxford, where she also works as a researcher focused on effective and fair assessment.