Teaching is considered as the noblest profession; thus, a teacher must feel valued, respected and treasured. However, there are instances wherein one faces stressful scenario due to some reasons. Here are some of them:
1. Poor learner-teacher relationships – When pupils or students do not respect their teachers, chances are great that their teachers are feeling inadequate, or incompetent, or having a- round- hole- in- a- square- peg- feeling scenario. Pupils must have motivation to learn the lesson, values and the like towards developing rapport with their teachers. Bridging the gaps by observing empathy, respect, individuality are keys to ensuring healthy and positive teacher-pupil relationships.
2. Pressure – Time pressure is the culprit for a teacher feeling the burnt-out blues. Work overload, inhumane deadlines and demands from superiors, also, affect a teacher’s mental and emotional health. Chronologically advanced teachers are leaving their jobs through early retirement, especially when they feel overwhelmed with all those mentioned concerns sans support from a superior.
3. Conflict – When innovation and change are being implemented, chronologically advanced teachers are having problems coping up, thus, they tend to feel left out, struggling or slow to accept them. And, these are stressful when dismissed by superior as nothing but a sign of deteriorating mental capacity, where in fact, it is a sign of mismanaging them.
4. Working environment – Cluttered workplace is stressful. When a supervisor or what pays a visit and looks for something just to put a teacher on the hot seat, the more the teacher would feel incompetent, devalued or debased. Then, the bad comes to worse by confirming a teacher’s malady as a hopeless case of incompetence and could redound to more devastating effect to a teacher’s self-esteem. Big class sizes, lack of facilities, noise, etc. are also stressful for a teacher.
5. Feeling powerless – When the reign of power is being observed by an autocratic superior say, in bureaucratic structure of organization, chances are great that a teacher suffers a lot. He has no power to decide on textbook procurement and other issues which could affect him/her as front liner in education.
6. Feeling of incompetence – Lack of training, extra-curricular load beyond capability, absence of support and recognition–all are stressful for a teacher. Self-esteem diminishes when one is feeling inadequate, abused and unrecognized due to those factors.
7. Negative feedback – Poor community relations where a teacher is not given high regard due to malicious rumors hurled at them by parents, colleagues, or even superiors! When personal life is unstable or insecure, the more stressful a teacher life can get, thus making his/her output unsatisfactory.
From the aforementioned stressful scenarios, a classroom teacher needs conscientious colleagues and superiors who must do something to maintaining sanity and harmony within the workplace. Making a workplace conducive for a teacher’s growth and professional development is a must. A good colleague or superior knows how to be of help.
By: Crisanto M. Baluyot | Master Teacher II | Bonifacio Camacho National High School | Abucay, Bataan