Abstract Book of the 7th Global Conference on Education and Teaching
Year: 2025
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Leadership Strategies for Building Teacher Resilience During Challenging Times
Simona Lunina & Assoc. Prof. Vaida Jurgilė
ABSTRACT:
This study explores the role of leadership in fostering teacher resilience in early childhood education settings affected by the crisis, with a focus on preschool educators working with refugee children. Findings reveal that teachers are frequently left to navigate complex emotional, social, and pedagogical challenges with little or no institutional support. The absence of coordinated leadership and inter-professional collaboration has normalized a state of professional isolation. Participants describe being emotionally overwhelmed, professionally undervalued, and psychologically exhausted, often experiencing burnout, loneliness, and helplessness in the face of traumatic realities such as war. Communication breakdowns among staff and repeated neglect by school administration exacerbate these struggles. One teacher’s reflection—“I am alone, I am by myself, like a ship in the ocean”—captures the essence of this emotional burden. The research highlights an urgent need for proactive and responsible leadership strategies that not only prioritize the psychological well-being of teachers but also create sustainable, collaborative support systems within early education environments. Strengthening leadership capacity is thus critical in ensuring teacher resilience and effective inclusion of refugee children in preschool settings.
Keywords: Early childhood education, leadership strategies, refugee children’s education, educational challenges