Content warning: this article mentions suicide. Please read at your own discretion. If you or someone you know is exhibiting warning signs of suicide, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, or seek help from a medical or mental health professional. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory

This recent article in The Guardian struck a deep chord in me.

As you know from reading my work, I have a heart for seeing education reimagined and transformed around the flourishing of persons and communities, and I have written many articles that highlight the staggering statistics related to student mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, stress, isolation, and self-harm)

This article in The Guardian, however, struck a nerve because it forces us to recognize that the current, traditional model of schooling does not just pose risks for students

it also poses risks for the ones tasked with caring for our students.

The article, titled “Teachers’ mental health ‘crisis’ prompts call for suicide prevention strategy” points to alarming research related to a rise in suicidal thoughts and attempts in teachers.

The article states, “A workforce survey of members of the NASUWT teaching union found that some teachers had been driven to the point of suicide by the stress of the job. Among 12,000 responses, 23% reported drinking more alcohol, 12% the use of or increased use of antidepressants, and 3% said they had self-harmed as a result of their work”.

As one researcher put it:

“Mental health is in crisis in our profession. It is a crisis. There’s no getting away from it.”

Education researchers have known for a long time that teachers face a unique and rising rate of burnout in their profession.

According to the research:

• K-12 teachers are the #1 most burnt-out profession in the United States

• 44% of teachers in K-12 school report often or always feeling burnout

• 90% of teachers claim that feeling burnt out is a serious problem

• Over half of teachers say they will leave teaching sooner than originally planned

• There are 500,000+ fewer educators in the American public school systems post-pandemic

• 44% of public schools posted teaching vacancies in early 2022

• 43% of educator job postings are going unfilled

• 30% of teachers were found to be chronically absent

What this latest research shows is that teachers are not just feeling burned out from the pressures of the job

They are actually considering taking their own lives because of it.

It is time to reconsider what we are doing in our schools and time to start telling a better story for everyone in them…especially our teachers.

Education is a very demanding job

It requires teachers to be constantly “on” while serving in a wide variety of roles: instructor, coach, hall monitor, classroom manager, test giver, grade assessor, preparer of lesson plans, cafeteria patroller, disciplinarian, activities director, Friday night cheerleader, encourager, parent liaison…and many many more.

It is a job unlike any other, with unique challenges, demands, requirements, and pressures baked into the reality that teachers work with minors during the most crucial and critical time of their biological, intellectual, emotional, and moral development. This requires of teachers a special dispensation of emotional and even psychological care that is often taxing and exhausting beyond the rigors of preparing and delivering content lessons for multiple courses in overcrowded classrooms all day long.

When you add to that the pressures from parents, administrators, college admissions, high stakes testing, mountains of papers to grade, overstuffed classrooms, and the ever increasing encroachment of politics into the field…the profession of teaching demands more from educators than ever before.

This stress has led not only to burn out and teachers leaving the profession

It is now leading teachers to more serious forms of self-harm.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on suicide by occupation shows that primary school teachers have a high suicide risk and their suicide rate is 42% higher than the national average

One teacher put it this way:

There were some really dark days, days where I didn’t want to wake up, days where I didn’t want to go to work, days where I wanted to quit. It is not an easy job, and it’s not one where you can necessarily be open with how not well it’s going at times.

This is why it is paramount schools and school leaders take this research seriously and create communities of care for their faculty

Faculty, now more than ever, need to know they are supported

They need to know they are seen and valued

They need to know they matter

They need little and big moments of encouragement

They need to know their administration validates them as persons and professionals

They need freedom to breath, to try, to fail, and to be

And they need breaks…not just in the school calendar and not just when they have a family emergency.

Schools that are really intentional about caring for their faculty should find little ways to give them rest to recharge and reset.

This may look like finding a substitute to teach in their classroom one day so they can stay home and just relax in the middle of the frenetic school year

It may look like parents volunteering to cover their lunch duty for a day so they can get off their feet

It may look like administration joining their class as a student to encourage them in their craft (beyond the “faculty review”)

It should look like parents emailing their child’s teacher to say “Thank You”

It should look like administrators making sure to let their faculty know how invaluable they are to the learning community

Structurally, it should mean we work for smaller class sizes, more learner centered approaches, greater counseling opportunities for teachers, building bridges of connection within the learning environment, professional development that speaks to teachers’ needs (and not just raising test scores), providing encouragement that uplifts and inspires rather than demands that demean and demoralize, helping teachers face their own vulnerabilities as educators with sensitivity and support, and creating space for teachers to grow within an ecosystem of care.

More than anything, and more than ever, educators need to feel cared for

Taking the well-being of our educators seriously is of paramount importance

At a time when teachers are under such extraordinary pressure that they are not only leaving the profession but are considering taking their own lives

there can be NO greater obligation we have than to ensure our educators are supported, encouraged, and cared for.

This is a shared obligation for the entire community.

Acknowledging the challenges, hardships, and demands unique to the education profession and working to alleviate some of the burden from teachers is a responsibility we all should bear

Working to create healthier, more supportive learning environments is not just life giving and life saving for students, it is life giving and life saving for educators as well.

Reimagining and transforming schools to be places of purpose, centers of care, and ecosystems of engagement is not just better academically

It is essential for the well-being of us all

Dr Scott Martin is an award winning, hall of fame educational leader and the founder of Odyssey Leadership Academy. He works with educators, schools, and school leaders across the world to inspire hope and help reimagine and transform schools to be places of flourishing for all in order to help schools tell a better story for students, educators and the world.

From one-on-one dream sessions, to consulting with your team, to sharing at your site, Dr Martin is passionate about helping you reimagine learning in your educational community.

You can learn more about his work and book Dr Martin to come share at your school—from workshops, consulting calls, professional development, keynotes, or year long cohorts—at https://www.drscottamartin.com/