We need to do more to help the teachers who are exhausted and stressed
Teaching should not be one of the most stressful jobs in the US. But it is. “The only other profession that comes close to us for stress is nursing and we still have the numbers… by a lot. ”
“Nobody realizes how horrific working conditions are for teachers throughout the country,” Brice-Hyde says, an experienced teacher in New York who is part of the national group Badass Teachers Association (BAT).
So they did a national study of teacher working conditions around issues like stress, work-life balance, respect, and more. The results are both surprising and not. If you've been seeing the stories about teacher walkouts and pay inequality, you probably aren't all that shocked to see these things like: 61 percent of educators find work “always” or “often” stressful; 27 percent of educators said they've been threatened or bullied; 86 percent of educators feel disrespected by US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
Teachers are stressed out, and turnover is high. No wonder we're seeing more stories about the importance of self-care, classroom burnout, and mental health days for teachers. Yet, self-care doesn't seem to come easily for people, and this is definitely true for teachers.
We think it's time to change that, though. So in honor of World Mental Health Day, we are working to change the dialogue about teacher mental health. Below are some of the top challenges people give for not seeking therapy, or even basic self-care, along with possible solutions and workarounds for each one.
We hope you share this article widely, giving support and love to your fellow educators. And it's pretty much guaranteed to help you do what you set out to in the first place be a good teacher.
A. BAT wanted to take action.
B. Those who gave more tended to gain less.
C. The data are ridiculous, and no one is really paying attention.
D. By nature, educators are taught to give care and support others not themselves.
E. Although respected for its own sake, teaching is under suspicion in today's world.
F. After all, self-care, good mental health, positive well-being is one of the single best things you can do for yourself.
