Therapy Thursday

Emotions Matter

According to the Greater Good Magazine, one teacher took a survey that they gave to unpack the “emotional lives” of teachers. One teacher responded, “There is this huge dissonance right now between the messages such as “be well” and “take care of yourself” at the end of emails, and “in this time of uncertainty.” Yet we have to partake in multiple seminars, read links related to online instruction, legal requirements in special ed, due process, timelines, etc. Everyone needs to be reminded again about how the brain works.”

In just three days, 5,000 teachers responded and the consensus was that they were feeling anxious, fearful, worried, overwhelmed, and sad. One reason teachers are feeling this way pertains to their stress around managing their own and their families’ needs while simultaneously working full-time from home and adapting to new technologies for teaching. This is a heavy load! Since Covid, computers and online learning have taken off to great heights. Covid forever changed the way teachers present information. Note that a similar survey was given in 2017 prior to Covid and the top five emotions mentioned were emotions were frustrated, overwhelmed, stressed, tired, and happy. Teachers were already burning out before Covid stressors.

According to one study, 85 percent of teachers reported that work-life imbalance was affecting their ability to teach while other data has shown that at least 30% of teachers leave the profession within their first five years of teaching. It was found that the following led to teacher stress and burnout: 1️⃣ A lack of strong leadership and a negative climate 2️⃣ Increased job demands, especially around testing 3️⃣ Addressing challenging student behaviors 4️⃣ A lack of autonomy and decision-making power 5️⃣ Limited to no training in social and emotional learning (SEL) to support educators’ and students’ emotional needs.

So Why Do Teacher Emotions Matter?

Emotions matter for attention, memory, and learning

Chronic stress, especially when poorly managed, can result in the persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the release of stress hormones like cortisol. Prolonged release of this and other neurochemicals impacts brain structures associated with executive functioning and memory, diminishing our ability to be effective educators and undermining student learning.

Emotions matter for decision making

When we’re overwhelmed and feeling scared and stressed, the areas of our brains responsible for wise decision-making also can become “hijacked.” When under intense stress, as teachers are today, and they are required to make 100s of decisions in one day the outcomes may not be positive ones as their emotions can override their ability to make effective and positive decisions regarding classroom management, interaction with students and parents, etc.

Emotions matter for relationships

Teachers who express anxiety or frustration (for example, in their facial expressions, body language, vocal tone, or behavior) are likely to alienate students. This interaction can impact students’ sense of safety in the classroom.

Emotions matter for health and well-being

How we feel influences our bodies, including physical and mental health. Stress is associated with increased levels of cortisol, which has been shown to lead to both physical and mental health challenges, including depression, weight gain, autoimmune, and other long-term health conditions.

Emotions matter for performance

Chronic stress among teachers is linked to decreased motivation and engagement of educators, which leads to burnout. Teachers who are burned out have poorer relationships with students and are also less likely to be positive role models.

With saying this, it is evident that if schools are going to keep teachers and not experience a teacher shortage, they need to develop a plan to help teachers who are feeling anxious and overwhelmed. But when will they understand the immediate need for this?

Has your school put a plan in place? Please share what your school district is doing to offset teachers’ stress levels and mental health.

As teachers, we are often overworked and pulled in too many directions. We often put others before ourselves and it is hard to learn to take care of ourselves. Addressing mental health is part of self-care for our minds, bodies, and souls. Remember, if your cup is empty, you can’t fill someone else’s cup. Here are 27 FREE COUNSELING OPTIONS FOR

TEACHERS https://www.weareteachers.com/free-counseling-for-teachers/

Facebook ° Pinterest ° Instagram ° Teachers Pay Teachers ° AmpedUp

#geographyandmathmadeeasy #teachertherapy #therapy #geography #middleschool #highschool

See less