Teachers’ Emotions during the Pandemic

by Aaron Leo & Kristen C. Wilcox

“Emotions are at the heart of teaching” – Hargreaves (2001, p. 835)

Teaching goes far beyond simply “delivering” content to learners but is intimately linked with emotions. As education scholar Hargreaves’ quote suggests, emotions are indeed an integral part of teaching.

In a recent Edutopia article, teacher Emily Kaplan described how the everyday work of teaching typically involves a significant amount of “emotional labor“ as we have found in previous NYKids studies:

It’s calming kids when they’ve had a rough recess, celebrating when they lose their first tooth, absorbing their struggles and their traumas, channeling their joy, and investing the currency of your own emotions in an effort to help them grow.

Teaching and Emotional Labor

Of course, teachers are not only tasked with managing their students’ emotions but their own as well. This type of work, which sociologist Arlie Hochschild termed “emotional labor,” refers to the ways teachers and others working in service-based industries must manage their feelings in ways which are seen as appropriate by employers.

In other words, “good” teachers must demonstrate and display positive emotions while suppressing negative ones. This process – especially when one’s true feelings are at odds with what is expected in workplace situations – can cause stress and anxiety for teachers.

Characteristics that Impact Teacher Emotions

Many factors can impact the emotional work of educators. Positive interactions with students and colleagues as well as recognition from families and the public can have beneficial impacts on educators’ emotions. In contrast, perceptions of unfair treatment, competition with colleagues, work-life imbalances, and pressures from policy changes can impact a teachers’ emotions negatively.

Educators who must work harder to manage their emotions may be more likely to experience burnout and leave the profession. Even those who may remain in their position may suffer emotional exhaustion which can also negatively impact students’ performance and social-emotional wellbeing. As Schonert-Reichl (2017, p.137) puts it, “stressed-out teachers tend to have stressed-out students.”

Teacher Emotions and the Pandemic

As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, NYKids recent, two-phase study focused on the experiences of educators through the pandemic. Our survey of over 900 educators indicated rising levels of stress and job dissatisfaction resulting from pandemic-related issues. Recent NYKids publications showed that these negative effects were stronger among female educators and those working in schools with greater numbers of economically disadvantaged students.

In a current analysis of our survey data, NYKids team members are investigating the emotions of teachers who participated in the study. Preliminary findings demonstrate that teachers reported high levels of negative emotions. During the pandemic:

• 32% of respondents said they had often been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly at work.
• 42% of respondents reported often feeling nervous and stressed about work.
• 35% of respondents reported often feeling angry because of work-related problems that were outside of their control.

The final question of the survey allowed participants to write an open-ended answer. Several responses pointed to the ways in which teachers were asked to manage their emotions in increasingly stressful circumstances. As one respondent put it:

Teachers need help… we are suffering silently everyday! If you walk up and down the hallways at my school, you would never know. Teachers are still smiling because we have no choice.

Another teacher explained the daily impacts of the pandemic on their emotions:

I wake up feeling on edge, inpatient, and having a heightened alert responses to typical life events. I am functioning below my baseline and have had to adjust my coping skills to combat increased anxiety.  

Taken together, these impacts have contributed to the high rates of teacher burnout and turnover which are creating challenges for school districts across the country. As one teacher commented:

There are days that I debate whether I even want to be a teacher anymore. The workload and stress from families has made this job feel unmanageable at times.

What Can Be Done?

While these impacts have certainly been severe, researchers have pointed to a number of policies and programs which can support teachers and help them manage their emotions.

• Collaborative and supportive leadership can provide crucial support to teachers in times of crisis.
• Mentoring programs and other forms of supportive relationships with colleagues may also help buffer educators against negative effects on educators’ mental health.
• Mindfulness programs, exercise, and other relaxation techniques have also been found to assist educators struggling with stress and anxiety.
• Recognition and acknowledgement of educators’ achievements by colleagues, leaders, and students’ families can also improve teachers’ morale.
• Increasing teachers’ wages and providing them with job security are significant measures to offset work-related stress.

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