"I Can't Cry in Front of This Child!" Teacher Emotional Unraveling in Time of Crisis

• In Event: Classrooms Amid Crisis: Teachers' Experiences During the Pandemic


Abstract

A recent USA Today poll reported one in five teachers are unlikely to return in the fall, suggesting this current pandemic may further exacerbate a growing teacher shortage. Little is known about how teaching in this crisis has affected the emotional health of teachers, who support their students’ emotional needs while also attending to their own. Using inductive coding to analyze interviews with five teachers, we found that the disintegration of home and school boundaries collapsed formerly distinct roles. The coping strategies that made teaching feel sustainable unraveled as a result of escalating global events and changing school conditions. The findings point to a needed change in how teachers are supported, centering the full humanity of teachers and students.

Authors

• Faith Kwon, Stanford University

• Emma Bene, Stanford University