Stress, Burnout, And Mental Health Among Teachers Of Color

IDEAS

Stress, burnout, and mental health among teachers of color

By Christopher J. Cormier, Venus Wong, John H. McGrew, Lisa A. Ruble and Frank C. Worrell

Categories: Leadership, Reaching all students, Social & emotional learning

February 2021

Teaching in K-12 schools is stressful, as educators know and research documents. For example, Herman et al. (2020) found that 94% of middle school teachers reported high levels of stress. Although all teachers experience stress, minoritized teachers of color often experience unique stressors. Common examples include being asked to translate for parents who do not speak English or function as the disciplinarian for students experiencing behavioral challenges (Bristol & Mentor, 2018; Dixon et al., 2019). Often, these students are from other classes, and teachers are interrupted from working with their own students and completing their other responsibilities. Minoritized teachers of color may accept these additional duties to support students who share their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, but they also engender stress. Moreover, when there are

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Here are more sources of support for minoritized teachers of color.

Profound Gentlemen (www.profoundgentlemen.org) is a nonprofit with a focus on mentoring and creating community for male minoritized teachers of color.
The Division for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners (community.cec.sped.org/ddel/home) is a supportive group of minoritized teachers of color in K-12 schools.
Cormier and Scott (2020) outline several advocacy strategies for minoritized teachers of color in special education.

What administrators can do to reduce burnout for minoritized teachers of color

Have clear policies that are applied equally to all teachers.
Ensure that all teachers feel that they and their culture are valued and respected members of the school community.
Visit their classes and appreciate their unique styles and strengths.
Ask how you can be an ally.
Provide clear and realistic job expectations.
Provide support for autonomy.
Increase respectful communication.
Create social situations where all cultural groups feel welcome.

References

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Billingsley, B. & Bettini, E. (2019). Special education teacher attrition and retention: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 89(5), 697-744.

Bristol, T.J. & Mentor, M. (2018). Policing and teaching: The positioning of Black male teachers as agents in the universal carceral apparatus. The Urban Review, 50(2), 218-234.

Brunsting, N.C., Sreckovic, M.A., & Lane, K.L. (2014). Special education teacher burnout: A synthesis of research from 1979 to 2013. Education and Treatment of Children, 37(4), 681-711.

Cormier, C.J. & Scott, L.A. (2020). Castaways on Gilligan’s Island: Minoritized special education teachers of color advocating for equity. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 53(3), 234-242.

Dixon, D., Griffin, A., & Teho, M. (2019, September). If you listen, we will stay: Why teachers of color leave and how to disrupt teacher turnover. The Education Trust & Teach Plus.

Herman, K.C, Prewett, S.L., Eddy, C.L. Savala, A., & Renke, W.M. (2020). Profiles of middle school teacher stress and coping: Concurrent and prospective correlates. Journal of School Psychology, 78, 54-68.

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