Letter of the Day | Bring back joy in the classrooms
Published:Sunday | March 23, 2025 | 9:47 PM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Teachers face high levels of work-related stress, impacting their mental health and potentially leading to burnout, anxiety, and depression, which can influence their well-being and the quality of education. Increasingly, teachers are being asked to take on non-teaching tasks. In many instances, this additional work is selectively applied to some teachers, while others who find favour with the administration are not so burdened. The disconnect between administrators and teachers on job responsibilities appears likely to persist without a revised Education Act.
The classroom experience can become toxic for many teachers and students. Unfortunately, we have moved away from embracing a holistic approach to education which caters to both students’ and teachers’ well-being. We must return the joy of teaching and learning to our classrooms or else we perish.
The combined weight of these issues has led to a greater physical, psychological, and emotional imbalance for our nation’s educators. To add injury to insult, after many teachers are burnt out, receiving vacation leave is another battle to fight. Often, the teacher’s state of wellness is ignored even with supporting evidence from a medical practitioner. The current system is uncaring and prejudicial.
Educators often speak about instructional and transformational leadership; however, equally important to balancing the education system is emotional leadership, which is lacking. Emotions not only influence interpersonal relationships, teaching behaviours, teaching beliefs and academic performance, but can also help with students’ cognitive and emotional development. This type of leadership is explicitly aimed at balancing job demands and resources, so that teachers can experience a state of well-being at work. Emotional leadership might help address the current state of imbalance for teachers.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your emotions, as well as recognise and influence the emotions of those around you. The term was first coined in 1990 by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey, but was later popularised by psychologist Daniel Goleman.
The Harvard Business School Online states that a lack of emotional intelligence skills often results in workplace conflicts and misunderstandings. This dynamic often stems from an inability to recognise or comprehend emotions. One of the most common indicators of low emotional intelligence is difficulty managing and expressing emotions. The affected individual might struggle with acknowledging colleagues’ concerns appropriately or wrestle with active listening.
Active listening is a communication skill that goes beyond simply hearing the words someone is saying; it involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding thoughtfully, and remembering what was said. It’s about actively processing and seeking to understand the meaning and intent behind the message.
Undoubtedly, the ever-increasing range of responsibilities has left many teachers burnt out. The education system continues to sacrifice the well-being of the teacher. Sadly, by taking this approach we are also playing Russian roulette with the well-being of the teachers.
It is critical to acknowledge the importance of supporting the mental health of not just students, but educators in order to maximise the best outcomes for all stakeholders.
In the words of Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, there is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.
WAYNE CAMPBELL