Learning Together About Teachers’ Emotional Safety

Emotional safety is a state of well-being in which a person feels emotionally protected. It is an important aspect of mental health and can be influenced by various factors, including the environment we live in and the relationships we have with those around us.

In the school context, emotional safety contributes to maintaining emotional well-being, job satisfaction, and teachers’ ability to create a positive and trustworthy learning environment for students. A safe school environment allows teachers to feel appreciated, respected, and valued, which enhances their self-confidence, creativity, and commitment to their profession.

Over time, the reasons why teachers choose to leave the education system have been well documented. These include a lack of support from school leadership, unattractive salaries, a general lack of respect, and difficult working conditions (Ramos & Hughes, 2020; Rasanen et al., 2020; Toropova et al., 2020; Trent, 2018). Another important factor contributing to teacher resignations is their feeling of physical and emotional insecurity in the workplace (Rasanen et al., 2020). Studies show that the increasing frequency of student behavioral issues, combined with the perception that administrators fail to ensure a safe environment for staff and students due to inadequate school policies, further exacerbates the problem of teacher attrition (Gonzalez et al., 2017).

In the case of teachers, Trent (2018) found that emotional exhaustion and the tendency to seek isolation due to the pressures of the profession contribute to career abandonment. Teacher attrition and the shortage of educators are now recognized as global issues, with teachers reporting that their jobs negatively impact their emotional and physical health (Rasanen, 2020; Williams, 2022).

Emotional Safety Told Through Stories

Ana was a high school Romanian language and literature teacher. She loved what she did. She loved seeing her students’ eyes light up when they discovered a fascinating novel or finally grasped the meaning of a metaphor. But lately, she felt something inside her fading.

For some time, Ana had been coming home exhausted, with a heavy heart. Not because of the lessons or the students, but because of an overwhelming sense of helplessness. She felt like a wall against which everyone leaned their burdens. Her students shared their problems with her, parents called her for every complaint, and her colleagues constantly vented their frustrations in the teachers’ lounge. Slowly but surely, Ana had become a sponge, absorbing all the emotions around her. She had no space left for herself.

One evening, after a particularly difficult day—one in which a parent had accused her of being responsible for their child’s low grade—Ana sat down on the couch, closed her eyes, and felt tears welling up. But she didn’t cry. She no longer allowed herself to. Then, her gaze fell on an old poetry book resting on the table, one she hadn’t had time to open in ages. She reached out, flipped it open at random, and read a verse: “You cannot pour from an empty pitcher.” That’s when she understood.

The next day, Ana walked into the classroom with a different attitude. Instead of starting the lesson with text analysis, she asked her students how they were feeling. Not about their homework, not about their grades—just how they were, truly. Some shrugged, others giggled, but slowly, they began to talk.

After class, instead of sitting in the teachers’ lounge, she went to the park and sat on a bench, breathing in the fresh air. In the following days, she started setting boundaries—she no longer answered messages in the evening, she stopped taking every criticism as a personal attack, and, most importantly, she allowed herself to listen to her own needs.

Over time, something changed. She no longer felt like she was fading away but rather reigniting her own light. And as Ana felt better, she noticed that her lessons became more engaging, her students more attentive and involved. Not because she was teaching more, but because she was teaching from a place of balance.

In the end, she realized that a teacher’s emotional safety is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Because if you want to light up others’ lives, you must first make sure your own light isn’t burning out.

The Connection Between Emotional Safety and Mental Health

Emotional safety and mental health are two closely related concepts. Emotional safety is a sense of protection and acceptance that allows us to express our emotions freely, without fear of judgment or rejection. When we feel emotionally safe, we are more open to interpersonal relationships, more confident in ourselves, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.

On the other hand, mental health is a state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being that enables us to enjoy life, grow, and contribute to society. People with good mental health can manage stress, overcome difficulties, and build positive relationships with others.

There is a bidirectional relationship between emotional safety and mental health. When we feel emotionally safe, we have a strong foundation for developing good mental health. We can explore the world with confidence, learn from experiences, and form meaningful connections with others. Conversely, good mental health allows us to feel emotionally safe. It helps us manage difficult emotions, set boundaries, and protect ourselves from toxic relationships.

When emotional safety is lacking, we may develop mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental health struggles can, in turn, negatively impact our emotional safety, making us feel vulnerable, insecure, and isolated.

How Can We Recognize That We Are Not in a State of Emotional Safety?

Physical Signs:

• Frequent headaches or stomach aches
• Excessive fatigue or insomnia
• Heart palpitations or difficulty breathing
• Excessive sweating
• Tremors or nervous tics
• Digestive issues

Emotional Signs:

• Constant anxiety or nervousness
• Irritability or sudden mood swings
• Sadness or apathy
• Feelings of guilt or shame
• Fear or insecurity
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Trouble making decisions

Behavioral Signs:

• Social withdrawal or avoiding interactions with others
• Difficulty maintaining healthy relationships
• Compensatory behaviors (overeating, excessive alcohol or drug use, etc.)
• Declining performance at school or work
• Frequent absenteeism
• Neglecting personal hygiene

In addition to these general signs, there are specific indicators related to the teaching profession that may suggest a lack of emotional safety:

• Chronic Stress: Teachers often face high levels of stress due to multiple responsibilities, pressure to achieve results, and challenges in managing student behavior.
• Burnout: Burnout syndrome is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by chronic workplace stress. Teachers are particularly vulnerable due to constant demands and limited resources.
• Communication Difficulties: Strained relationships with students, parents, or colleagues can negatively impact teachers’ emotional safety.
• Lack of Control: When teachers feel they have no control over their classroom or schedule, frustration and helplessness may arise.
• Frequent Criticism: Constant negative feedback or lack of recognition for their efforts can affect teachers’ self-esteem and emotional safety.

Tips for Improving Emotional Safety:

1. Communicate openly and honestly with those around you. Express your emotions and needs clearly and directly.
2. Learn to manage stress. Identify the sources of stress in your life and find healthy ways to cope with them.
3. Build positive relationships. Surround yourself with people who support you, accept you, and make you feel good.
4. Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat healthily, and exercise regularly.
5. Seek professional help. If you are struggling with mental health issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to a specialist.

Bibliography

Gonzalez, A., Peters, M. L., Orange, A., & Grigsby, B. (2017). The influence of high-stakes testing on teacher self-efficacy and job-related stress. Cambridge Journal of Education, 47(4), 513-531.

Ramos, G., & Hughes, T. (2020). Could More Holistic Policy Addressing Classroom Discipline Help Mitigate Teacher Attrition?. EJEP: EJournal of Education Policy, 21(1), n1.

Räsänen, K., Pietarinen, J., Pyhältö, K., Soini, T., & Väisänen, P. (2020). Why leave the teaching profession? A longitudinal approach to the prevalence and persistence of teacher turnover intentions. Social Psychology of Education, 23, 837-859.

Toropova, A., Myrberg, E., & Johansson, S. (2021). Teacher job satisfaction: the importance of school working conditions and teacher characteristics. Educational review, 73(1), 71-97

Trent, J. (2018). “It’s like starting all over again”. The struggles of second-career teachers to construct professional identities in Hong Kong schools. Teachers and Teaching, 24(8), 931-950.

Williams III, J. A., Hill-Jackson, V., Caldwell, C., & Craig, C. J. (2022). Teacher recruitment and retention: Local strategies, global inspiration. Journal of Teacher Education, 73(4), 333-337