Teacher Wellness

Stress. Burnout. Long hours. Increasing demands. Insights into teachers’ mental and physical wellness and what schools can do

See also: School-Life Balance, Job Satisfaction, Mental Health, Health

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The State of Teaching, 2026
New national data on the teaching profession, vivid reporting from classrooms, and resources to help support this essential profession.
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Recruitment & Retention Why Teachers Say They Leave the Profession—Or Say They Want to Quit
Here are some of the reasons listed in response to EdWeek questions on social media.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Marina Whiteleather, June 17, 2026
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1 min read
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Emily Torres speaks with her creative writing students at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., on Dec. 4, 2025. Students in the class have experienced significant trauma, mental health challenges, or both.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A 'The Most Authentic English Class I've Ever Taught'
Emily Torres said the class has been the most meaningful teaching experience of her career.
Alyson Klein, June 15, 2026
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3 min read
Teachers follow each other in a circle during a workshop helping teachers find a balance in their curriculum while coping with stress and burnout in the classroom, on Aug. 2, 2022, in Concord, N.H. School districts around the country are starting to invest in programs aimed at address the mental health of teachers. Faced with a shortage of educators and widespread discontentment with the job, districts are hiring more therapist, holding trainings on self-care and setting up system to better respond to a teacher encountering anxiety and stress.
Teachers follow each other in a circle during a workshop helping teachers cope with stress and burnout in the classroom, on Aug. 2, 2022, in Concord, N.H. New data show that teachers continue to face high levels of stress, but many plan to stay in the profession long term.
Charles Krupa/AP
Teaching Profession More Teachers Name Classroom Management as a Job Stress Than Low Pay
A national survey highlights ongoing work and home pressures on educators.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 10, 2026
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3 min read
Woman watering flowers growing from her head. Self-development, creativity, self-education concept.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion Eat More Protein? Exercise More? Why Teachers Need Better Self-Care Advice
Many of us have heard the phrase “teacher tired,” but it’s worth naming what that actually means.
Kyna M. Engelhart, May 4, 2026
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2 min read
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Artificial Intelligence Opinion We Studied How AI Shapes Teachers’ Well-Being. Here’s What We Found
Stop asking if AI will help teachers save time. Ask if it will make the job more sustainable.
David T. Marshall & Tim Pressley, April 24, 2026
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4 min read
Image of a zen garden and with a rock balancing sculpture.
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School & District Management What's Your Educator Wellness Score? Here's How to Find Out
We curated a fun way for you to take care of yourself as you worry about students, colleagues, and your school.
Olina Banerji, April 8, 2026
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1 min read
Happy woman meditating on smiling ball among other gloomy balls. Being optimistic, cheerful and happy. Positive thinking, Break time, calm and relax. Time out, stop burnout. Good mood, various emoji.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock
Teaching Opinion We Train Teachers to Deliver SEL. They Should Also Know How to Live It
Researchers share three practical moves that educators can start doing right now.
Marc Brackett, Robin Stern, Nicole Elbertson & Patricia (Tish) Jennings, March 19, 2026
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5 min read
Winter in Lowville, N.Y. on Nov. 29, 2025. “There’s a lot of things here in our area that would certainly impact teacher morale if you let it,” said Zippel Principal Christopher Hallett. “We are very conscious of it here in our region. We are isolated in many, many ways: It’s a low-income population in a very rural area, so as you can imagine, there’s not a lot to do. Getting people to think outside the box about their own mental health and self-care is pretty important up here.”
Winter in Lowville, N.Y. on Nov. 29, 2025. For the past three years, teachers in the Northeast—including New York state—have reported significantly poorer morale than teachers in the West, Midwest, and South, according to the EdWeek Research Center’s annual survey. Said one Maine principal, Christopher Hallett: “There’s a lot of things here in our area that would certainly impact teacher morale if you let it."
Cara Anna/AP
Teaching Profession Why Are Teachers in This Region So Miserable?
It's not clear why New England and Mid-Atlantic teachers feel so burned out. But some fixes could help.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 4, 2026
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9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion 12 Strategies Administrators Can Use to Prevent Staff Burnout (and Their Own)
Creating a healthier school culture begins with building trust, but it doesn't end there.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 23, 2026
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7 min read
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Ninth grade teacher Tracy Byrd helps a student with her final essay on the last day of the semester at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN.
Ninth grade teacher Tracy Byrd helps a student with her final essay on the last day of the semester at Washburn High School in Minneapolis on Jan. 22, 2026. Bryd, the 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, has leaned on his network of state teachers of the year for support amid the challenges of increased immigration enforcement in the state.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
Teaching Profession How Teachers Across the Country Support Each Other in Times of Crisis
One Minnesota teacher received a touching display of support from a colleague 1,200 miles away.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 6, 2026
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4 min read
Wallenberg after receiving a Shakespearean educator award.
Wallenberg after receiving a Shakespearean educator award.
Brandon Mitchell
Teaching Profession How the Nation's Top Teachers Prevent Burnout
Finalists for Teacher of the Year give tips on keeping your sanity and enthusiasm in the classroom.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 4, 2026
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6 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion The Most Exhausting Part of Teaching Isn't the Students
Teachers reveal what drives them from the field and what leaders can do to improve teachers' lives.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 26, 2026
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9 min read
Runners workout at sunrise on a 27-degree F. morning, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Portland, Maine.
Runners work out at sunrise on 27-degree F. morning on Jan. 9, 2026, in Portland, Maine. Nearly 50% of American adults make New Year's resolutions, and about half of resolution makers aim to improve physical health.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Teaching Profession The Odds Are Against Teachers' Fitness Resolutions. But Here's the Good News
Teachers struggle to honor fitness resolutions but rack up major movement during school days.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 16, 2026
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4 min read
Tired female teacher sitting alone at the desk in empty classroom, relaxing after class. Woman feeling stress, burnout and exhaustion in educational environment, working in elementary school.
Education Week and E+
Teaching Profession 'I Try to Really Push Through': Teachers Battle Sleep Deprivation
Many teachers say they get less than the recommended amount of sleep a night.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 14, 2026
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5 min read