Dear Diary: Journaling as a Tool for Maintaining EFL Teachers’ Wellbeing

Abstract

Teacher wellbeing is a crucial aspect of effective education, especially in English Language Teaching (ELT), where English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers constantly navigate unique cultural, emotional, and professional challenges. These issues continuously contribute to high levels of stress and, consequently, risks of professional burnout. This thesis explores the multifaceted nature of EFL teaching and the factors that shape teachers’ experiences. Through an autoethnographic approach, this study examines the use of personal narrative, specifically diary keeping, as a tool to improve and maintain wellbeing of EFL teachers. The results deriving from the researcher’s personal diary entries and semi-structured interviews with fifteen EFL teachers suggest that implementing journaling into teachers’ working routine provides them with a reflective practice that can help them manage various challenges they face both inside and outside the classroom, build their resilience, and foster emotional awareness. Furthermore, it helps EFL instructors to process their experiences more healthily and effectively by creating a positive outlook on their work and their professional identity. This study aims to raise awareness regarding teacher wellbeing and underscores the need for a greater emphasis on self-reflective practices within teacher training programs, offering a draft of a teacher journal for self-care.