We Need To Do More for Teachers Who Are Exhausted, Stressed, and Burned Out

Teaching shouldn’t be one of the most stressful jobs in America, but it is. And that was before the pandemic.

The 2021 State of the US Teacher Survey, released this summer by research firm RAND and funded by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, reveals alarming statistics on teachers’ mental health.

More than 75 percent of teachers reported frequent work-related stress, compared to 40 percent of other working adults.
Worse, 27 percent of teachers reported symptoms of depression, compared to 10 percent of other adults.
And almost 25 percent of teachers said they were likely to leave their jobs by the end of the 2020-2021 school year, compared to one in six teachers on average likely to leave before the pandemic.

In the WeAreTeachers survey we conducted this summer, we found similar opinions.

75 percent of survey participants said their mental health had deteriorated this year.
Only six percent of teachers surveyed received counseling support from their school or district in the past year. And only 22 percent said they received emotional support.

It’s time to change those numbers. To mark World Mental Health Day on October 11th, we want to do everything we can to support the mental health of teachers, starting with the following.

Teachers need access to mental health days and they need to take advantage of them

A mental health day is never wrong. Unfortunately, so many people have the feeling that it is. They feel weak. You feel silly. You feel guilty. Teachers in particular feel like they need to plan ahead, put together supplies for their subs, and then, really, what for?

The point is that your sanity is one of the most important things you need to nurture. You may need a day to unwind. You may need a day to catch up. Maybe you need something else. Whatever you need, it’s time for this mental health day. And it’s time for schools to encourage and support their staff so the idea of taking paid time off isn’t entirely untenable.

(Read more: Should teachers attend mental health days?)

Teachers need counseling services and they have to use them

You have chosen one of the most rewarding and impactful careers out there. You have also chosen one of the most demanding professions. You may be feeling mentally drained, especially at the start of third year in a pandemic. If you’re feeling more overwhelmed than usual, you’re not alone and you should consider speaking to a professional.

In our dreams, every school would have teacher counseling services and Students. However, if this is not possible, first explore what your health insurance company and HR department offer. Hopefully you have a list of available counseling options that you can take advantage of. There are also many free and online resources.

(Read more: 27+ Free Consultation Options for Teachers)

Teachers need basic support

We know that it is difficult to be a school leader even at the moment. Parents send emails about COVID-related issues. Local leaders broadcast ever-changing pandemic responses. But now, more than ever, teachers need the support of their principal. They need to know that their admin has their back, even in the toughest of times. School leaders need to be supportive, pushing for mental health days, reducing testing and reviewing their teachers. Because the mental health of teachers is crucial.

(Read more: Want to Support Your Teachers’ Mental Health? 7 Mistakes to Avoid | 6 Ways School Leaders Can Support Teachers Now)

Teachers need work-life boundaries—and schools need to support those boundaries

The day ends and you take home all those ungraded papers because you’re going to have to grade them at some point, right? Your email pings at 9pm with a notification from a parent asking about Sally’s test result. You wake up in the middle of the night from a dream about lesson plans. With every small intervention, your stress level increases. Studies show that when “work after-hours intrudes in the form of pings and buzzes from smartphone alerts, it can create stress spikes that lead to a variety of adverse effects, including negative work rumination, low mood and insomnia.” .

You may not be able to stop the dreams, but work-life boundaries are essential to maintaining mental health. Creating those limits can often feel impossible, but you can start small. “I make time for emails between 7am and 8am and 2pm and 3pm and I look forward to responding to your message.” And to really set work-life boundaries, your school needs to support them too, by reinforcing the need for teacher absences, creating space for lesson planning and grading during contract hours, and setting the expectation that all messages will be returned during specific time slots.

(Read more: It’s Time to Stop Wearing Overtime Teachers as a Badge of Honor | Teachers, Stop Being Available 24/7 | 15 Teachers Share How They’re Setting Boundaries Right Now)

Teachers need to be paid better

We’ve said it before. We’ll say it again. We’ll say it ’til we’re blue in the face. Teachers need to be paid better. students do better. Staffing is improving. Teachers can focus more instead of looking for side jobs. And now we’ve found that better pay helps improve mental health. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health states that “raising the minimum wage could also lead to reduced stress and significant improvements in mental health, which not only would have the potential to further reduce suicide rates, but also would be an advantage in their own right.”

(Read more: 6 Proven Benefits of Increasing Teacher Salaries)

We hope that you will share this article widely and support and love your fellow teachers. After all, self-care, good mental health, positive well-being – whatever you want to call it – is one of the best things you can do for yourself. And it’s pretty much guaranteed to help you do what you set out to do from the start—to be a good teacher.

What tips do you have for teachers’ mental health? Share your ideas on our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE on Facebook.

We need to do more for teachers who are exhausted, stressed and burned out

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