“Both deep and surface acting create conflict within teachers, who feel the pressure to suppress true feelings and either revise them so they are more acceptable or ignore them and present false feelings instead (Levine Brown et al., 2014). The impact of emotional labor for teachers is exhaustion, emotional distancing, dread, and self-doubt.” (Weston et al., 2018, p.116)

This quote not only made me think of what I have observed and felt at my student teaching, but it also made me think of how this profession is perceived by those who do not form part of it. When I mention to someone I’m in grad school to become a teacher, I’m very often met with looks of concern, surprise or shock. This is then followed by a “wow, really?”, “I have a real appreciation for teachers, I wouldn’t want to do it” or “why would you do that?” It is well known that this profession is one that requires so much more than just teaching, which can result in being emotionally taxing, especially with little training or experience working with students with mental health problems. It surprises me that schools don’t pay any mind to the mental health of teachers, resulting in suppressed feelings and exhaustion or anxiety. I think it may have become a factor that is implied in the profession, where you know what you’re getting yourself into, so you just need to buck up and do your job. Yet, one thing that surprised me recently is the support that a teacher can receive from unexpected places. For example, while observing come parent-teacher conferences at the school in which I student teach, the parents of one of my students emphasized to my cooperating teacher and I that, even during our worst days, they wanted us to know that we are doing an incredible job educating so many kids, which they understood isn’t easy. On another occasion, a student of mine, while I was accompanying her to get something from the main office, told me she was sorry I had to deal with her rowdy class, and she didn’t want me to feel sad because of them. It’s small comments like these that show how teachers are recognized and appreciated for what we do. Although we will definitely have our days of exhaustion, with some support and necessary resources, we can work toward creating schools and classrooms that are more understanding and caring toward the importance of mental health.