Platforms like Reddit’s r/Teachers or Facebook groups serve as spaces for teachers to vent, share advice, and receive informal support from peers across the globe. The National Education Association (NEA) offers mental health resources for educators, including workshops, tool kits, and training on emotional poverty, restorative practices, and mindfulness. Some districts offer wellness programs that include free mental health counseling, fitness programs, and stress-management tools specifically tailored for teachers. Many school districts offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides teachers with a set number of free, confidential counseling sessions.

• Resources are available for staff, parents and carers to support attendance and mental wellbeing in schools and colleges.
• Across grade levels, teach kids emotional literacy, the ability to understand emotions’ biological basis—not only their own, but others’ as well, and how to name emotions, and take others’ perspectives.
• Whether the teacher wellbeing support affects the mental health of students.
• The hotline operates Monday through Friday with specific hours depending on your time zone (check the website for updated hours).
• Younger teachers may especially feel this kind of pressure to ‘carry the weight’ as other department members have done before them.
• It’s not a pipe dream; it’s a real possibility with the right mental health support.

Indonesian teachers’ confidence, barriers, and needs in identifying mental health problems: A qualitative study

Research has shown that teacher morale is directly related to student achievement and sets the tone for the classroom. Past studies showed that teachers spend approximately 1,913 hours teaching annually. What can teachers do to prioritize their mental health? Data supports this as more than 270,000 teachers have left the profession each year since 2016, and the trend is expected to continue through 2026, according to the U.S.

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However, the most resilient education systems are those that provide opportunities for both systems and schools to share responsibility for children’s learning. Happy, mentally healthy teachers create positive learning environments where students can thrive. It also enhances student outcomes by ensuring that teachers are more engaged and better able to support their students. Mental health is an important aspect of overall well-being, and by prioritizing mental health, teachers can promote inclusivity and respect for all students, regardless of their background or abilities. A stressed or burnt-out teacher may struggle to create a positive and supportive learning environment, which can negatively impact student performance and engagement. Therefore, it’s imperative that mental health—especially the mental health of teachers—is given more importance and attention in the teaching profession.

Meaning, behind every action is a need that a student does not know how to better articulate. It’s uncanny how when you’re under extreme stress, every little thing can feel like a trigger. Find a way to talk about your challenges in a healthy, solution-oriented manner.

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Reducing turnover enables schools to benefit from experienced teachers for longer periods of time. A teacher with poor mental health, however, may have a hard time showing up for their students in such a positive way. For instance, the research found, when a teacher remains calm and solution-oriented in the face of challenging classroom situations, it creates a more positive environment and supportive atmosphere for students. This is especially true for teachers of color, who are more likely to leave their schools, or the profession, due to poor working conditions and a lack of support. Not only do teachers personally benefit from improved mental health, but their students do, https://www.pacesconnection.com/g/california-aces-action/blog/the-growing-battle-over-school-mental-health-and-social-emotional-learning?reply=538679547617369177 too.

By modeling healthy coping mechanisms and emotional regulation, teachers can provide a positive and supportive learning environment that fosters student well-being. Many educators say that teaching has gotten harder since the pandemic, as student academic needs have gotten greater, behavioral challenges have increased, and substitute and other staffing shortages have continued to plague schools. As the frontline in every classroom, teachers deserve the same mental health resources as students. In building school-based cultures of support, teachers who don’t feel comfortable in the role of emotional counselor can explore simple strategies that benefit students while staying within content areas, says Phyllis Fagell, a school counselor and author of the book Middle School Matters. Meanwhile, even with an influx of much-needed funding, critics of school-based social and emotional curricula argue that allowing the language and practices of therapy to enter the classroom amounts to “mission creep,” and sets up insurmountable challenges for schools and teachers.