WHAT DOES TEACHER STRESS LOOK LIKE?

Many teachers have reached a point where the demands of their work are no longer sustainable, and in some cases, are jeopardizing their health and overall well-being.

Two teachers share their personal accounts of the moments that pushed them to the brink of burnout:

1) The back-to-school staff meeting

A senior kindergarten teacher was asked about her stress levels in a staff meeting. The entire staff’s response was unanimous – their stress levels were alarmingly high. Yet the administration had no solutions. It appeared that, if anything, more tasks were being added to their already overwhelming workload. Frustrated and overwhelmed, this kindergarten teacher resigned the following day.

2) The fire-drill emergency

Another teacher found herself alone with a student who refused to leave the classroom during a routine fire drill. The piercing sound of the fire alarm filled the air, yet she was stranded without any assistance. This incident left her with a chilling realization: in a real emergency, there might not be anyone to help her. 

WHY IS TEACHER BURNOUT ON THE RISE?

Teacher burnout is reaching alarming levels, driven by factors such as challenging student behaviors and ineffective response strategies. Traditional methods often fail to address the root causes of these behaviors, leaving teachers feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.

Administrators respond with more tasks

Many administrators respond to teacher burnout by asking teachers to do more, like:

• Documenting challenging student behaviors
• Implementing time-intensive programs like behavior charts 
• Adopting traditional social emotional learning (SEL) curricula that yields minimal results
• Practicing self-care through yoga or meditation

These solutions often just perpetuate teacher burnout and eventual turnover.

There are no science-backed solutions

The Mariposa approach is grounded in the neurological response to stress, identifying current teaching strategies that may be intensifying stress, as well as strategies that can alleviate it. 

This approach also helps teachers with:

• Understanding of the underlying causes of difficult behaviors
• Learning science behind stress
• Adopting research-backed language to manage these situations more effectively

Teachers are asked to work harder, not smarter

At Mariposa, we equip teachers with tools and language that you need to respond effectively to children's behavior in the moment, that will significantly reduce both teachers and students’ stress levels, all without adding more tasks to your already busy schedule.

Our expertise

This information is provided free by our experts - Dr. Anne Townsend and Jenny Barrett. Combined they have over 50 years experience in Social Emotional Learning and school education.