3 Reasons We Should Prioritize the Mental Health of Educators

1.They are more likely to be transparent about challenges experienced in the classroom.

When educators (this includes classroom teachers, shadow teachers, paraprofessionals etc.) feel like they are supported by the school, administration, and/or their supervisors, they will find freedom in expressing their concerns about what is challenging. On the contrary, teachers who are often silenced or who are not given space to speak up about their difficulties (whether personal or professional) may learn that their thoughts and opinions (and their mental health) do not matter in the environment they work in. This can lead to teachers keeping those difficult experiences to themselves whether it happens to be the challenging behavior of a student, an experience with a parent, or demanding job expectations etc. No matter what the challenge is, it is important that teachers can openly communicate this. When challenges are not shared with those who have the power to create positive change in a working environment, it leads to continued burnout for educators, a decrease in student performance, and generally does not allow for the most optimal and healthy learning environment for both teachers and students. Instead, we should seek to create an environment where educators feel safe to speak up about challenges so that solutions can be brought to the table that benefit everyone. 

2. They can educate their students more effectively 

Most of us would probably agree that the primary role of an educator is to….EDUCATE. The problem is that  this is extremely difficult to do when educators are experiencing difficulties related to their mental health. It doesn't necessarily matter where the difficulty is coming from either ( personal vs professional ) as mentioned earlier. So prioritizing the mental health of teachers can really go a long way and allows them the possibility of not only doing their job more effectively but finding more joy in their work as well. There are many ways to do this: regular check-ins, making sure there are clear efforts to demonstrate value and appreciation, providing helpful resources, equitable pay, benefits and policies, and requesting their feedback on a consistent basis. Every organization can find some area to improve upon when it comes to keeping morale and wellness high for their educators. 

3. It allows more room for students to be emotionally supported too.

Teachers are spending quite a bit of time with their students daily and tough emotions and thoughts are definitely going to come up, not just for the teachers but for the students too. Not that teachers should be required to play the role of a therapist or counselor, but when teachers are supported and their mental health matters at the organization, they will be more likely to respond supportively in the moment when their students are struggling emotionally or escalating behaviorally. For example, a student who becomes visibly frustrated in the classroom is more likely to be acknowledged from a place of compassion by a teacher who is also supported by the environment where they teach. On the other hand, if a teacher is routinely unheard, never asked for feedback, never checked in with, never treated with respect and their time is not valued, it is reasonable to expect that this teacher might also respond in an escalated way towards the student who is already frustrated. 

Wellbeing is so important and it doesn't have to be complex. There are so many small things we can do each day to improve our mental health, improve our effectiveness with daily tasks as well as increase empathy and compassion for others around us. We should also consider the impactful positive ripple effects of prioritizing the mental health of just one person…it shows, and can make the difference for everyone this person comes into contact with as well. For teachers they are often contacting at least 20 or more students in their classroom. Imagine what a difference it would make if as a society and as educational  institutions we made the effort to boost their wellbeing on a regular basis.