Teachers who struggle to cope with stress are more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs. With numerous responsibilities, high expectations, and limited resources, the teaching profession can be demanding. When teachers are subjected to high levels of stress without effective coping mechanisms, it can result in a variety of negative outcomes, including decreased job satisfaction.
As teacher shortages worsen across the country, a new study from the University of Missouri sheds light on why so many stressed and burned-out teachers are leaving the profession. According to the study, teachers who struggle to cope with job stress report far lower job satisfaction than teachers who find ways to manage the pressure.
Seth Woods, a former doctoral student at MU, collaborated with Keith Herman, a Curators’ Distinguished Professor in the MU College of Education and Human Development, and others to analyze survey data of 2,300 teachers from Missouri and Oklahoma who were asked to rate how stressed they were at work, if they found ways to cope with work stress and how satisfied they were with their jobs.
Finding ways to mitigate teacher stress and investing in ways to help them cope with stress in positive manners will pay us back in not having to constantly hire and train new teachers all the time. In addition, retaining experienced teachers will likely benefit student achievement as well.
Seth Woods
While the findings were not particularly surprising, according to Woods, the study emphasizes how the ability – or inability – to cope with work stress can be a significant factor contributing to teacher burnout, which eventually leads to many teachers leaving the profession.
“I’ve seen many great people leave the profession in my 20 years as an educator, and this research confirms that we need to start devoting more time and resources to helping teachers identify and adopt healthy coping mechanisms,” said Woods, who is now principal at Beulah Ralph Elementary School in Columbia, Missouri.
“Finding ways to mitigate teacher stress and investing in ways to help them cope with stress in positive manners will pay us back in not having to constantly hire and train new teachers all the time. In addition, retaining experienced teachers will likely benefit student achievement as well.”
Positive, healthy coping mechanisms, according to the researchers, can be quick, easy, and free. Writing and delivering a short letter of gratitude to a colleague with whom they enjoy working is one healthy coping mechanism Woods suggests for stressed teachers. Simple things like increasing positive interactions with students and peers, improving classroom management skills, and avoiding workplace gossip, according to Herman, author of “Stress Management for Teachers: A Proactive Guide,” can also help.
While systemic issues such as low teacher pay and overburdened teacher workloads must be addressed, Herman believes that school principals, district superintendents, and school administrators can all help stressed teachers who are struggling to cope.
“Communicating with teachers about their concerns, demonstrating empathy, and checking in on their health and well-being shows that you care,” Herman said. “Our overall goal is to create school environments that allow teachers to thrive while also providing them with the tools they need to succeed.”
