Nurturing
Teacher Social and
Emotional Wellness
Why fostering social
and emotional wellness
is fundamental to
retaining teachers
Marnie walked into my office and
slumped into the chair. “I just don’t think I
can do it. I thought teaching would be won-
derful, but I am worn out and all I do is cry.”
This was the beginning of a conversa-
tion with a promising second year teacher.
Over the next hour, she shared the stress
and emotional burnout causing her to ques-
tion her calling to teach. “If I am going to
be the teacher I want to be, I have to know
the secret to balancing the demands with my
health. I am no good to my students or my-
self without that.”
Why are teachers leaving?
Marnie is one of many teachers struggling
with the decision to remain in the teach-
ing profession. While the Greek philoso-
pher Heraclitus was accurate when he said,
“Change is the only constant in life”, the
speed of change in education is like drinking
from a firehose; and teachers are drowning.
Teacher job satisfaction has declined
10
Leadership
significantly, from 62% in 2008 to 39% in
2012. In addition, more than half (59%) of
teachers report they experience great stress
several days a week. In 1985, the reported
teacher stress level was 35% (MetLife,
2013). Emotional stress, burnout, and lack
of support are often cited as reasons for
teachers leaving the profession (Darling-
Hammond, 2001).
Teachers are challenged to implement
multiple reform initiatives on a fast-paced
timeline. Additionally, schools are devel-
oping social and emotional support pro-
grams in response to increasing numbers of
students exhibiting behaviors that impede
learning and teaching. These initiatives are
needed; however, the impact is overwhelm-
ing teachers’ emotional capacity and self-
efficacy.
Many teachers enter the profession mo-
tivated to make a difference for students.
By Dr. Debra Bukko