Before the academic day even begins, a complex dynamic unfolds in the classroom: a teacher, laden with personal and professional stress, steps into a classroom of adolescents navigating the social and emotional anxieties of youth. In the high-pressure school environment, the classroom’s atmosphere depends entirely on how these pressures are managed, as overwhelmed educators risk projecting their stress onto vulnerable students.

Recognizing this, on 29 June 2026, eMsingi’s Psychosocial Support (PSS) Pillar conducted a Teacher Training on Guidance and Counselling Enhancement for Kenswed Secondary School, bringing together 30 educators committed to strengthening learner support while investing in their own wellbeing.

The training was built around a simple but transformative belief: schools flourish when educators are equipped to respond intentionally to the emotional realities that influence how learners engage, cope, and grow.

Throughout the session, participants explored what it truly means to create a culture of care, one that begins with the educator before extending to learners and, ultimately, the entire school community.

One of the most powerful reflections challenged participants to consider a fundamental question: Who am I before I enter my classroom?

This question shifted the conversation from academic delivery to personal presence. Every interaction between an educator and a learner has the potential either to create psychological safety or to heighten stress. Long before students absorb a lesson, they respond to the emotional climate established by the adult standing before them.

Educators reflected on the “invisible backpack” they carry each day, filled with personal responsibilities, financial pressures, family concerns, administrative demands, heavy workloads, and countless unseen obligations. While these burdens are real, the session emphasized that self-awareness allows educators to recognize when those pressures begin influencing how they engage with learners.

The discussion introduced a compelling contrast between reacting and responding. Participants examined how unmanaged stress often leads to impulsive disciplinary responses that damage trust, while emotional regulation enables educators to remain calm even under pressure. The goal is not to eliminate life’s challenges, but to develop the professional skill of choosing thoughtful responses over emotional reactions.

Building on this foundation, the workshop introduced practical strategies that educators can immediately apply in their daily interactions. Participants explored techniques for pausing before responding, communicating with empathy, establishing healthy emotional boundaries, and protecting learner dignity even during moments of correction.

The training also reinforced an important truth: guidance and counselling is far more than a department within a school; it is a shared responsibility.

Every adult on a school compound has the capacity to influence a learner’s wellbeing. Whether teacher, administrator, support staff, or school leader, every interaction can either strengthen a learner’s sense of belonging or deepen their distress.

Participants were introduced to a practical framework that simplifies learner support into four intentional actions: noticing signs that something may be wrong, connecting through trust and empathy, responding with care, and referring learners whenever challenges require specialized support. Rather than expecting educators to solve every problem, the framework encourages them to recognize their unique role as the first line of support while understanding the importance of professional referral pathways.

The workshop also challenged participants to look beyond individual interactions and consider the systems that sustain a caring school environment.

Strong guidance and counselling programmes do not emerge from isolated activities. They are built through intentional planning, clear strategy, shared accountability, and continuous evaluation. Educators explored how schools can strengthen referral systems, clarify responsibilities, integrate psychosocial support into school culture, and ensure that learner wellbeing remains central to educational excellence.

Perhaps the most memorable takeaway from the day was the reminder that learners rarely remember educators solely for completing the syllabus.

They remember the adults who made them feel safe.

These moments of human connection often shape young lives far more deeply than any lesson delivered from the front of a classroom.

As the training concluded, educators reflected on the legacy they hope to leave behind, one defined not only by academic achievement but by empathy, resilience, wisdom, and care

eMsingi commends the leadership and educators of Kenswed Secondary School for prioritizing both educator wellbeing and learner support. By investing in stronger guidance and counselling practices, the school is nurturing more than academic success; it is cultivating an environment where educators feel empowered, learners feel seen, and meaningful relationships become the foundation for lifelong growth.

Because when educators are equipped to hold space for themselves, they become better prepared to hold space for every learner entrusted to their care.

By Samantha Mumbi