Aruna Sankaranarayanan
First published in Deccan Herald, 27 Oct 2026
A recent incident of a five-year-old boy in UKG dying after allegedly being scolded and slapped by his teacher in a school in Vishakapatnam is creating a stir on social media. The Minister of Education and Technology said that swift legal action will be taken against those at fault. But merely meting out punishment, however severe, to those responsible is unlikely to prevent such incidents from recurring. Unfortunately, this incident is not a one-off case; just last month, reports surfaced that a 12-year boy died in a residential school after being supposedly punished by his physical education teacher.
While schools may take measures to create safer spaces for children, both physically and psychologically, what steps can individual teachers take? A useful starting point is to introspect on their own lives. Self-awareness is an essential component of emotional wellness. As a teacher’s well-being and mental states have a direct impact on young, developing minds, it’s imperative for teachers to assess whether their own psychological needs are being met, both at work and outside. Jessica de Bloom and Merly Kosenkranius argue in Psyche that the DRAMMA model, originally proposed by Newman, Tay, and Diener, offers a useful framework for reflecting on our psychological needs.
The first letter of the anagram DRAMMA stands for Detachment. As a teacher, your job requires you to be on your feet as you engage students, explain concepts and respond to their emotions. You also have lesson plans to create and papers to grade while meeting high expectations of management and parents. Your day usually doesn’t end when school is over. When you get home, you have familial responsibilities that stretch from dawn to dusk. As you juggle various roles, are you able to Detach from your main responsibilities for some time every day. Are you able to disengage from “work-related activities or care-taking responsibilities” for at least a half hour on weekdays and possibly longer on weekends? Tuning out of your responsibilities not only involves not engaging in them but also not thinking or worrying about them.
If you are able to detach, then you can give into the next need of Relaxation. Whether it’s listening to music while savouring a cup of tea, watching your favourite TV show, curling up with an enjoyable book or engaging in a hobby, you can choose to relax in any way that soothes you. If the demands on your life are such that you are not getting this window of “me-time,” consider making changes or getting support as being able to detach and relax are necessary for your wellbeing.
The next need refers to Autonomy or a sense that you are in the driver’s seat of your life. Do you feel that, by and large, you control the decisions you take on a daily basis, both minor and major? This does not imply that you’re selfish. But when you serve others, or comply by rules of an institution, you are doing so willingly. In contrast, if you are engaging in behaviours that make you feel resentful or controlled, you may be jeopardizing your wellbeing.
The next two needs, Mastery and Meaning, involve “time and effort.” Are you engaging in activities that tap into your strengths and talents? If you consider yourself to be a creative person, are you able to exercise creativity as a teacher? If you have strong leadership skills, are you able to showcase them in your school? Mastery involves taking on a “pleasant challenge” and growing from the experience. If you feel your job presents new challenges that harness your strengths, this need may be met at work. On the other hand, if you feel your teaching job is not mining a core talent, you may consider a hobby that helps you cultivate it. If you are a sporty person who doesn’t get to exercise their athletic side at school, consider playing tennis or training for a marathon.
While most people think of teaching as inherently meaningful, some teachers may feel like a cog in a wheel. In that case, see if you can inject more meaning into your life by meeting an unmet need, either at school or outside. Some subject teachers opt to work with children with learning difficulties either in the classroom or in resource rooms. A few teachers volunteer to tutor children from low socioeconomic backgrounds a few times a. a week after school hours. Others may take on leadership positions to influence the vision and values of the school more directly.
The final need is Affiliation where you both “care for others and feel cared for.” Experiencing a sense of belonging both at home and at school is optimal for your well-being. While you don’t have to like or be liked by everyone, you need to have at least one person in each domain who understands and cares about you. Being friends with a number of colleagues can also boost your well-being.
Rather than asking if you have work-life balance, de Bloom and Kosenkranius urge you to survey your life with respect to the six DRAMMA needs. Prioritizing your well-being is not selfish; other lives depend on it.
(The author is a psychologist, writer & Visiting Faculty, Azim Premji University.)