10 Lessons for Reducing Teacher Stress in the Classroom

Reducing teacher stress in the classroom has become more urgent than ever before, giving the increasing demands for excellence in schools despite falling levels of resources.

Teachers are the backbone of our society. They come to school each day to educate students and help shape their futures. But the job is not always easy. Many of them are forced to work in overcrowded classrooms, where they can feel trapped. The job demands can be overwhelming, and many teachers struggle to maintain their mental health and happiness. Some experience difficulty with emotion regulation due to irritability, with excessive stress response that includes high cortisol levels in the blood.

Today’s schools witness a never-ending cycle of tests, evaluations, and the ever-increasing pressure to perform well, including test anxiety in teachers and students. Of course, it’s not just teachers themselves who are feeling the stress. Principal, school leaders, students, and parents are all feeling the pressure and anxiety to perform.The persistent pressure on staff is a high risk of burnout.

Why is classroom teaching stressful?

Teachers and other school staff are often surrounded by negative stressors that can make even the most optimistic person feel overwhelmed. While it may seem difficult to control the high levels of stress in educators’ lives, there are several ways you can help reduce stress levels in the classroom.

Teachers can be hard on themselves, and it can get to the point where they are so stressed that they struggle to get through the school day. There is some underlying – fear of the school administration, of the kids in the classroom, of not living up to the parents’ expectations, or even the fear of being an educator. Altogether, this fear affects their mental health and physical health. Student learning is also adversely affected.

In a recent study, teachers reported spending about 26% of their time grading homework and tests, 20% taking care of administrative tasks like communicating with parents and 9% on classroom management. This leaves little time for planning or incorporating higher-order thinking activities in the classroom, and for relationships outside the school.

Stressors in the classroom

Some teachers worry about managing the classroom, keeping up with lesson plans, or only getting through the workday. Others worry about whether they’re doing a good job, if their students are learning or if they will get a job when they leave their school. Teachers may also have to deal with certain situations, like a student who is bullying others, or a parent who is angry about a grade, or another expressing toxic stress and other classroom demands. The teacher workload is ever increasing and the time pressure is enormous. All of these stressors contribute to high levels of burnout.

No question being a teacher can be stressful. The work can be emotionally draining, and the expectations are high, especially with limited resources. On top of all that, teachers have to deal with all the pressures of home life, from bad weather to sick children to financial worries. With no room for professional development, the stressors continue to escalate.

Teachers are expected to keep a straight face in the classroom, even when they’re feeling tired, frustrated, or burnt out. They’re expected to have all the answers and keep order in the school, and they have to do it all with their limited skills and experience. If a teacher doesn’t have the right tools, it can be a stressful situation for everyone. No wonder, there is an increase in teacher turnover.

If teaching has become overwhelming, it’s time to find some ways to relieve that stress. The good news is there are several healthy ways to reduce stress in the classroom.

Lessons for Reducing Teacher Stress in The Classroom

Reducing teacher stress in the classroom is the goal for most teachers and educators. For an elementary school teacher, it can be challenging to keep a group of children in a classroom environment free of noise and distraction, but it can be done. Most middle school children understand why their teachers are stressed and can feel the effects of being in a lousy classroom more quickly than adults. There are classroom management techniques that can help reduce that stress to a manageable level.

1. One of the biggest things a teacher can do to keep his or her students quiet in the classroom is to be prepared before the lesson begins. That means being organized and well prepared for any disruptions that might occur during the day. If students know they will be in the classroom for a certain amount of time but know when the class will end that allows them to be quieter; it gives them a reason to relax and focus on their study.
2. Teachers need to be punctual. At the very least, the teacher needs to have all of the materials they will need on hand before they enter the classroom. Bringing a book to the class or even using a handout can help.
3. Another way to help reduce teacher and student stress is by allowing plenty of opportunities for independent study. Some teachers make a big deal out of quizzes and tests, especially multiple-choice. These tests are designed to cause as much confusion as possible, and teachers cannot afford to allow their students to miss out on any valuable learning experience. By allowing the students to work independently, students can spend more time studying and less time fumbling around for the right answers. Of course, there are times when a teacher simply has to organize an exam, but these exams should be as short as possible, for only ten minutes or so. When the length of a test is too long, it can confuse the student, create test anxiety, take up unnecessary classroom time and leave the teacher with inadequate time to grade papers.
4. There are many ways of reducing teacher stress that depend on how the problem started and what caused it. Sometimes it is easy to pinpoint the problem and simply change, such as moving a desk to a more open location. Other times, it is more difficult to specify the problem, and it will require more in-depth discussions with the entire class or other colleagues. No one solution works for every situation. Conducting a stress audit is a good first step towards stress management.
5. Another way of reducing teacher stress is to ensure that all of your students’ assignments are completed on time. Late submission of assignments can lead to delay in your schedule, leading to unnecessary deadlines and teacher workload.
6. While it may be tempting to cancel some of your scheduled activities to reduce your overall stress level, this should be avoided as it can take a significant toll on your career and wellbeing. However, if you need to cancel a class for any reason, talk to the school leader or principal first to see if there is a problem doing so. Once you have their approval, take a leave and try to schedule some other things for the remainder of the week so that you’re back to normal, feeling fresh and relaxed.
7. Another lesson in reducing teacher stress in the classroom is making sure there are clear goals and deadlines for each class. Having clear expectations makes it easier to meet them and keep them within the time allocated. Plan ahead and be proactive.
8. Introduce variety into your class sessions. Brainstorm on the types of things your students can bring to class that can be of value to your lessons. These items can be as simple as a new color scheme or as complex as an organized homework schedule. Once you have assessed students’ choices of what bring to the classroom, you can consider these factors to plan their upcoming lessons. This student engagement exercise can be beneficial in reducing classroom stress.
9. Do not overburden your students. Make sure assignments are shared evenly. When the classroom is large enough, there is no need to have someone do most of the work and the extra free time will help the students and teacher relax and enjoy their work more.
10. As a teacher, you should engage in personal stress management exercises like meditation and mindfulness training. You can also engage in deep breathing and relaxation during your school break. By cultivating awareness of your stress response and emotional regulation needs, you are likely to engage more in these stress reduction activities.