Attention school administrators: Teachers think you could be creating a better work environment鈥攁nd they have suggestions for how to do it.
Teachers want leaders to trust them with autonomy in the classroom. They want time to collaborate with colleagues and take care of themselves. And they want support in handling student misbehavior, teachers said in a recent survey from the EdWeek Research Center.
In short, wrote one of the respondents, 鈥渢eachers need to know that administrators have their back.鈥�
The findings come from the third annual Merrimack College Teacher Survey, which asked nearly 1,500 public school teachers and 131 private school teachers about their job satisfaction and mental health.
This year鈥檚 results paint a sobering picture: Compared to survey results in 2023 when morale showed signs of improving, more teachers say that they鈥檙e dissatisfied with their jobs. A greater share in 2024 report that a raise would help reduce their financial stress. Just under three-quarters say that more support for dealing with student misbehavior would improve their mental health.
But they also think there are steps school leaders could take to support teacher well-being. In more than 950 open-ended responses, teachers outlined what they wished school leadership programs would teach budding administrators about fostering environments that support staff members鈥� mental health.
Many of these suggestions echo similar themes from past surveys. Teachers wanted school and district leaders to listen to their concerns.
鈥淲hen staff cries out for help, most educators need it and are not exaggerating the issue,鈥� one respondent wrote.
They also asked administrators to avoid saddling teachers with too many additional responsibilities. 鈥淭he more you put on the teachers鈥� plates without removing items off of it, the worse the mental well-being of the teachers. We are exhausted!鈥� one respondent wrote.
But a few new trends emerged, too. Read on for insight into how teachers want their leaders to be prepared to support them. The following are direct quotes from survey respondents.
Help manage student discipline, especially when teachers鈥� safety is at risk
- 鈥淸Administrators] should focus at least a little bit on how their treatment and approach to student behaviors influences the mental health and safety of their teachers. Students who don鈥檛 ever have consequences often accelerate their behaviors. Teachers are on the front lines when those behaviors boil over.鈥�
- 鈥淐heck in on teachers especially after emotional or scary incidents with students (i.e. after breaking up fights or injury to the teacher).鈥�
- 鈥淟isten and act quickly when a student is being unsafe in the classroom or is (repeatedly) disrespectful.鈥�
Give teachers autonomy
- 鈥淭rust the experienced teachers to know how to teach. Don鈥檛 keep pushing out new programs. If it鈥檚 not broke, don鈥檛 fix it.鈥�
- 鈥淟isten to your teachers. You hired them because you trusted them. Let them teach and don鈥檛 micromanage. If they have suggestions for areas that need improvement, try them out instead of dismissing them.鈥�
Schedule more collaborative planning time
- 鈥淭eachers need time and opportunities to engage and interact with one another during the school day. Lunch times that overlap varying grade levels, planned [professional learning] times, principals/administrators MUST be available to staff.鈥�
- 鈥淭hey need to give teachers opportunities to talk to each other, problem-solve situations, and work together.鈥�
- 鈥淲e are overwhelmed and overworked. We need more time to prep and collaborate with colleagues, not more staff meetings and [professional development].鈥�
Provide teachers with the tools to address student mental health
- 鈥淲e need training on how to best address students with various mental health needs. While we know there might not be one method that works for all students, it would be helpful to delineate strategies for [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder], autism, stress, anxiety, etc.鈥�
- 鈥淭here should be more programs on adolescent behavior/psychology.鈥�
- 鈥淪tudent welfare is key to student learning and growth.鈥�
Respect teachers鈥� time off
- 鈥淭eachers should not be made to feel guilty for using a personal day. We earned these days and need them for our mental health.鈥�
- 鈥淲hether [administrators] mean to or not, it is frowned upon to take sick days and personal days. Treat employees like they are adults; never say, 鈥榳e don鈥檛 let the children 鈥� so you cannot 鈥� 鈥欌��
- 鈥淧hysical and mental health are tied together. If you don鈥檛 allow teachers the time they need to recuperate from illness both physical and mental health will diminish.鈥�
- 鈥淧lease no micromanaging of sick days.鈥�
