Emphasizing Educator Mental Health

As a young teacher, I learned quickly where the gaps existed in my undergraduate education. I had to adapt to new situations and learn on my feet. But one area that has been difficult to adjust to is the impact being a teacher has had on my mental health. Nobody told me that there would be days that would emotionally exhaust me. I wasn't ready to bring the trauma that my students experience home with me at night, thinking about the kids who told me they were suicidal or were removed from an abusive situation. Setting boundaries was never a point of discussion. Then, a global pandemic emerged and flipped my career on its head. I wasn't prepared to teach online. I wasn't prepared to be alone in my apartment for days on end, with little to no contact from students and colleagues. It was a lot to process.

As hard as it was, I realized that the career path I had chosen was going to impact my mental health regularly. And nobody had told me how to handle and process this. My colleagues, many of whom are veteran teachers, were struggling to process their jobs as well. We all spend so much time and energy on student needs that our own mental health falls to the back burner. I don't think the blame for this can be put on any one person or organization, but teacher mental health needs to be addressed and taken as seriously as student mental health. This isn't a one person or school issue, but more of a systemic need that should be destigmatized. Teaching is a hard job, and we all need to acknowledge that teacher mental health should be a priority.

So what can be done? I think there are things we can do as individuals to improve our mental health and encourage our schools to do the same. Some of these are things I have learned and adapted to my own life. Others are ideas that we can spread to colleagues.

1. Set clear boundaries for yourself. You can be a good teacher and not respond to emails after 5pm or on weekends. You don't need to stay at school for ten hours each day. There are always times we will have to work outside of contracted hours because of the nature of education, but that doesn't mean that we can't find small boundaries to set. Not responding to school emails past a certain time has helped me to focus on my personal life and leave the classroom behind until the morning.

2. Don't be afraid to take days off. I am not an asset to my classroom when I am burnt out. My teaching suffers and my students know that I am not enjoying what I am doing. I think there's an underlying stigma when teachers take days off. We shouldn't be looked down upon for knowing our limits and taking advantage of the personal and sick days we are given. Taking a day off because of anxiety or exhaustion should be just as normal as taking a day off because you have the flu. Give yourself time to heal and come back refreshed.

3. Create relationships with colleagues. Our colleagues are part of the small group of people who understand what happens on a daily basis. I love my family, but they can't always relate to my struggles at work. Having colleagues that will listen to you is essential in feeling like you are supported at work. A community of people who have your back is an invaluable asset.

4. Speak to administration about staff mental health. We can be advocates for change simply by talking to our administration and offering ideas on how to support staff mental health. A school staff is a team, and we work best when we all are mentally healthy. Bringing our concerns or ideas to administration can start a conversation and help enact real change.

5. Do things you love outside of work. Even though many educators love their jobs, it is important to have outside passions to add value to our lives. Only focusing on work and doing nothing outside of it adds to burn out. There's a time and place for resting, but it shouldn't be the only after school activity. For me, I have found exercising and doing crafts are great passions. I feel energized from working out and explore my creative side with the things I create. I may only spend 20-30 minutes on them sometimes, but it is better than laying on a couch and being stuck in my thoughts after work.

All of these changes take time and will not happen at once. But progression isn't linear. There will be times that we falter. For example, I have struggled keeping a consistent workout routine since returning to in-person school in February. That's okay. Real changes in our lives take time. We can take small steps each week to better our mental health, which will better ourselves as educators. It's never easy, but the outcome will lead to better teaching and a more fulfilling career.