Educators and their students struggle with burnout now more than ever as the systemic problems with our education system have been exposed during the pandemic. The days drag with the sense of forced productivity and kids are in desperate need of compassion and understanding. Teachers face student after student whose faces reflect the pain of learning in unprecedented times of war, COVID, and nationwide school shootings. 

When you sign up to become a teacher, you sign up to become a resource, a role model, and an ally. The role of the teacher is labeled as learning instructor, and that is true, but there are many more nuances that come with being an adult that leads kids for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Dr. Jessica Weiss, LCSW, certified clinical trauma therapist, and former school based therapist at McCaskey Campus said, “While in the classroom … they[teachers] are tasked as a resource for their students for learning and overall skill building on how to communicate and interact thoughtfully and effectively with their peers and adults (social learning/modeling by example and discussion).” 

Teachers are drastically underpaid of course, but when dealing with growing kids, they are more conerningingly undertrained in regards to mental health needs of students and how to incorporate self care to themselves more effectively. 

Training programs like the one at Millersville claims it “strongly believes that teachers must both know the subjects they teach and how to teach them appropriately to students.” But they do not offer any courses on sensitivity or otherwise.

Furthermore, they have listed on their site a disclaimer: Please note that Continuing Education Units offered by Millersville University are not guaranteed to comply with all continuing education requirements that are set forth by specific certification bodies, professional societies, or governmental licensing boards. 

This is not isolated to universities, statewide requirements are severely lacking in comparison to the responsibility that would come with the job. According to Act 126 of 2012, only three hours of training on child abuse and sexual assault is required every five years. And only four hours on suicide prevention every five years, stated in Act 17.

This is especially concerning, considering that suicide is one of the top two leading cause of death amongst teens, and the numbers are rising. A main risk factor for suicide, drug abuse, mental illnesses, etc is abuse. Abuse that can be prevented if only we knew the signs; signs that can’t possibly be thoroughly taught and learned with up to date information in four hours every five years.

When we speak of someone who is supposed to guide and protect our children, we would wish for someone who, at the very least cares. Some teachers, from personal experience, loudly complain about training that forces them to watch a “boring slideshow.” Others claim that their personal beliefs prevent them from respecting a student’s identity. Incident after incident, of teachers being unwilling to deal with some discomfort for the greater good.

As Dr. Weiss said, “Personal beliefs should be checked at the door and honoring your role as a teacher and mentor needs to be forefront. Do no harm is in all professional ethical standards, so to… deny authenticity of an individual does harm.  Mental health professionals are asked to do the same and if there is conflict of self and the client, then it is asked to step aside and allow someone who can provide the necessary support. However, teachers do not have that luxury, so at the very least acceptance of all in the classroom as themselves would be beneficial.”

Of course, not all teachers, and of course we all understand that the programs themselves should be improved upon and that educators are often not provided the support they need to do better. 

A significant problem that needs to be addressed is general boundaries that if implemented, could help every relationship on and off campus. Dr. Weiss emphasized the need for this here, “Concurrently, there needs to be understanding of boundaries, roles/expectations, and how to gain other resources, if the need and impact is too great for all involved … Due to attachment issues that could be present, expectations are then understood by all involved instead of the pendulum swinging back and forth creating confusion for the student or crossing of boundaries that should never be crossed by professionals and students.”

An anonymous student relays their struggle with boundaries and teachers, “…I was stuck avoiding them the whole year and watching them blame me for my response and their shame, when I just wanted to learn, all because of a lack of boundary setting on their part.”

With all this being said, how can we do better now, rather than later? Dr. Weiss gave examples of schools benefiting from “… meditation, check-ins, positive affirmations, and intentionality…”

It is incredibly important for teachers to be provided counseling for themselves. If they are unable to understand their limits, how can they learn to understand another person? It is impossible to force anyone to shoulder this responsibility alone, so we must utilize social workers, counselors, and school based therapists more. Together they can tackle this responsibility with educators as a team.