How do we support teachers’ mental health?

Hoping that I am not too late to greet all of you that is celebrating Easter this weekend. Blessing upon you and your loved ones during the Easter festive time.For myself, I am far away from my family in Gauteng but still amongst people that loves me.

Yes, today we are talking about the mental health support for teachers.Teaching is one of the most rewarding and challenging professions. This topic is very close to my heart as I am still heavily involved in the education sector. SCREAMZA, my organisation still support quite a lot of schools with trauma counselling and do a lot of mental health awareness activities.

The well-being and mental health of teachers needs to be a priority and failing to do so can likely lead to an unhealthy schooling environment. We need to encourage teachers to recognise symptoms of stress and find coping mechanisms and seek mental health support if and when needed.  

Personally I had a few close calls and SADAG really assisted whoever I referred to them tremendously. If you are needing a referral to a psychologist, psychiatrist or support group, please call The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) on 011 234 4837 or 0800 20 50 26 and speak to a trained counselor who can assist you further. Their offices are open 7 days a week from 8am – 8pm.

Though it might sound simplistic, happy teachers are more effective, and teachers who are enabled to be effective are more fulfilled, and in turn happier.

Teaching may not be considered a typical high-pressure job, but there are few who would deny that it’s an undertaking that requires a special set of skills and extraordinarily high levels of patience, empathy and communication. For teachers and those whose careers are closely linked to the field of education, the extraordinary demands on one’s mental and emotional resources can often take their toll, and it might come as little surprise to those with experience in the profession — or those outside of it.

Whilst teachers shape young minds, inspire children to greatness, and play pivotal roles in the life of a child, teachers also experience many stressors. Demanding curriculum, administration, lack of resources, violence, and the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are just some of a very long list of stressors.

Teachers report higher symptoms of depression than adults in other professions. Burnout is at an all-time high. And while teachers are experiencing their own mental health crisis, students are, too. Students who teachers are desperately trying to keep in the classroom and catch up on academics.

Why should teachers be physically mentally and morally fit?

Teachers and students need to be healthy and happy. Any teaching or learning activity is incomplete without the inclusion of physical and mental fulfilment. Any study-plan that doesn't focus on nutrition and exercise fails to create happy teachers and students.

I came across a few resources for teachers and the links are included:

In an article, Teachers at risk of anxiety amidst pressure and disruption by SASOP ( South African Society of Psychiatrists), teachers are urged to take practical steps to maintain their mental health and reduce stress levels, starting with focusing on what they can control. Below are the steps referenced from the article:

1. Choosing how to spend their time and making healthy choices such as getting sufficient sleep, staying hydrated, limiting alcohol intake, and eating regular, healthy meals.
2. Make time for self-care – exercise, rest, reading, writing in a journal, meditating, or spending time on a hobby helps to create balance and promote mental health.
3. Model self-compassion. “We teach students the basics of self-compassion, but we also need to model it. Be kinder to yourself. This will benefit your mental wellness.”
4. Set reasonable expectations. “We have to acknowledge that we are in the midst of a pandemic and it is not business as usual. We can’t expect to be as productive or as organised as before while having to balance teaching, care-taking, and managing households. Set small realistic goals and expectations.”

The South African Council for Educators (SACE) was established to enhance the status of the education profession. SACE registers all qualified South African teachers, which means you need a SACE registration number before you can teach. The organisation also manages the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) system and encourages the development of teachers through the system. Below are some of the CPTD course teachers can sign up for to aid them with skills and knowledge about mental healthcare. SACE article for tips teachers can adopt for mental healthcare. 

• Anxiety, Sensory Integration and Working Memory: This talk focuses on identifying and responding to childhood anxiety, the relationship between working memory and anxiety, and the influence a child’s sensory system has on anxiety.
• Overcoming Compassion Fatigue: This workshop will focus on building awareness of Compassion Fatigue among educators and health professionals as well as the ethical responsibility of professionals to make self-care a priority in order to sustain their work.

Final Thoughts:

Many teachers and education staff have considered leaving the sector in the past few years due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing.This information was acquired while SCREAMZA worked with students and teachers in several schools over South Africa for the past 5 years.

Over half of staff have actively sought to change or leave their current jobs, citing workload as the main factor.

Stress, depression and anxiety have all remained at an unsustainably high level.

Real term funding cuts bite. For the first time, ‘lack of resources’ has become one of the top five reasons that staff, especially in primary settings, consider leaving the profession.

There are long-term health implications for the education workforce.Schools support staff wellbeing has deteriorated and their levels of stress and depression have increased. This demonstrates a saturation of stress at all levels of the school workforce.

For educators who find teaching their calling in life, exiting the classroom long before they intend to leave or retire can be a devastating decision.

Teachers feel isolated in the walls of their classroom and unsupported by their peers and leaders.

Rather than writing off a concern as someone being dramatic or saying something for whatever, listen. We all want to be heard.

Problems don’t go away by ignoring them.