Group 4

Teacher’s Mental Health Deteriorating

4 Causes and Signs Teachers Health Plummeting
 By Makada Porteous, D’andra Jackson, Anna – Kay Douglas, Jhanel  Stewart
Article
Teachers play a critical role in shaping the lives of our nation’s children. Teachers not only
facilitate learning, but also influence a child’s social and emotional development. Today,
teaching is one of the most stressful occupations. Teachers’ stress and anxiety have soared and
their morale has plummeted during the pandemic, a flammable combination that could burn them
out and lead them to early resignation. It’s more important than ever, experts say, for districts to
support their teachers by looking after their mental health.

Anxiety, Stress, Job Demands, Threats & Low pay

 Anxiety
Being a teacher is demanding, standing and /or sitting  in front of a classroom of students all day
and often taking work home. You are assessed on measures which you can have little control
over (such as students’ grades) and you have to achieve high expectations (with continuous cuts
to funding and tight budgets in state-funded schools). These issues are challenging for all
teachers, but especially those who are already suffering from anxiety. There are always some ups
and downs that come when being a teacher. The Anxiety of wondering if you're doing or giving
your all to help the students. Teachers get severe anxiety over matter as explained above some
signs of anxiety are: trouble concentrating, inability to relax, rumination, dizziness, heart
palpitations. 

ARTICLE cont’d
One of the leading causes of stress for teachers is the long hours they have to work. Teachers
work longer hours than many other positions, which often leads to burnout and stress. Some of
the many contributing factors are lack of resources, work-life balance and political issues are
problems at home, working conditions, professional responsibilities, student teacher situations,
and student discipline. The most common signs of a teacher being stressed are: irritability,quick
to anger, no desire to attend school are any social events, Fatigue or exhaustion, Insomnia, Loss
or gain in appetite.
Job Demands each job has specific demands teachers have essential duties concerning
qualification and education. They also contribute to both the stability of society and the further
development of future generations. A teacher is responsible for planning, preparing and
delivering effective learning and teaching programs for every student in the classes. You also
have an important role in contributing to school planning and assisting with the management of
school resourcing. Most teacher feel pressured to meet the high academic expectations with their
students and this can cause and increase in stress and anxiety
 which can eventually lead to depression. 
 ARTICLE cont’d
 
Threats such as Disease Transmission, Workplace Violence, Ergonomic Issues and Student 
threats can also play a major role in a teacher health deteriorating research show that 40% of
teacher get anxiety and stress are even hospital after getting a threat form a student, involved are
just a bystander of a workplace related violence or a disease transmitted in the classroom, teacher
will get anxious about going to work not knowing if it is safe or not living in fear of something
bad might happen to them at work.
Low pay:most teachers find it hard to meet high expectations with the low payment they receive
which causes an increase in stress because with the insufficient funding of the school they would
have to buy and pay for the objects / items used for classroom activity with their own funds can
cause a teacher to stress and be depressed.