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How Teachers Can Build Emotional Resilience

By Elena Aguilar

"I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather."

This quote by the Israeli educator, Haim Ginott, hung above my desk in my classroom. It often inspired me but was also a daunting reminder to manage my emotions. When I was exhausted or stressed out, my students’ behavior deteriorated, which further exasperated my emotional state. On those days, I resented the suggestion that I was the decisive element.

The reality for those of us working in public schools is that our work is very, very stressful. At a breakneck speed we must perform a multitude of mentally and emotionally draining tasks. Add to that the pressures of high-stakes testing, cuts in education, constantly changing administrators, instructional initiatives and curriculum, and the poverty and violence, and sometimes it feels like it can’t get any harder to...