Teacher Appreciation Week is filled with heartwarming thank-you notes, breakroom tables piled with treats, and other gestures of gratitude for hard-working educators. As a former school administrator, I love seeing educators recognized for their amazing work.
But this year, educators need something far more than our appreciation.
Nearly half of K12 teachers say this school year has been the most stressful of their career, according to a recent survey by Prodigy Education. U.S. teachers are three times more likely to view this school year as more stressful than the pandemic era.
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That should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who supports teachers, inside and outside school districts. Teachers need meaningful, sustained support alongside our appreciation.
What’s driving teacher stress and burnout?
The symptoms of stress are all around us. Seasoned teachers are retiring early, while others are resigning mid-year or quietly disengaging from a job that once gave them purpose.
Nearly one in 10 teachers we surveyed said they’re planning to leave the profession this year, while one in four are actively thinking about it. Our survey confirms what many have long suspected: This isn’t just temporary burnout. It’s a chronic, structural problem.
I wrote my dissertation about teacher retention because even as a vice principal at a high-achieving public school, I saw 20% annual teacher turnover—and the impact it had on our staff and our students.
Today, 63% of teachers report that their current stress levels are higher than when they first started teaching. What’s driving that pressure?
Student behavior and discipline challenges top the list, with 58% of teachers citing the issue among their most pressing stressors. That’s followed by low compensation and administrative demands like paperwork, meetings and district policies.
If we don’t alleviate the root causes of stress, many districts will face a workforce crisis that could destabilize operations and widen achievement gaps for students who need skilled educators the most.
3 steps to better support teachers
Teachers are at a tipping point with stress. However, tipping points can also be turning points for district leaders to make meaningful changes that help teachers.
There are three areas where targeted, strategic support can make a real difference for educators.
1. Back up praise with policy
Nearly half of teachers say they feel underappreciated. While praise for great work should be plentiful (and not just during Teacher Appreciation Week), it’s even more important to provide practical support and policies to strengthen their day-to-day work.
Yes, that means addressing the issue of teacher compensation. Nearly 60% of teachers said increased pay would ease their stress significantly.
But money isn’t your only lever. A third of teachers pointed to structural changes like additional planning time and stronger reinforcement of discipline policies as ways to lighten the daily load.
Teachers want to feel like their time, energy and expertise are valued. When you set clear discipline policies, realistic workloads, and support systems that match the challenges of the job, it sends a strong message that you care for your educators and their well-being.
2. Provide dedicated time for self-care
Teachers often act as counselors, curriculum developers, and IT troubleshooters all at once. It doesn’t leave much space for them to take care of themselves.
Our survey found that a third of teachers are getting less than one hour of self-care per week, and one in four aren’t able to engage in any self-care at all.
It’s not for lack of trying. More than three-quarters of teachers say they try to make time for self-care, but 43% feel guilty for spending time recharging and 78% have skipped self-care due to work demands.
You can help shift your district’s culture by providing dedicated time during the workweek for rest and recovery. That could look like early-release days for planning, protected breaks during PD days or access to mental health resources.
Even small changes—such encouraging guilt-free downtime—can move the needle. More than three-quarters of teachers feel their stress would be reduced if schools implemented mandatory self-care breaks.
3. Invest in tools to make learning engaging and time-efficient
Your teachers don’t need more tech for tech’s sake. They do need tools that make learning more engaging for students and manageable for themselves.
That means investing in platforms that can adapt to individual student needs, reduce the administrative load and provide real-time insights without hours of manual data entry. Game-based and adaptive learning tools, for example, can help students stay motivated while offering teachers quick visibility into progress and areas needing support, without the extra paperwork.
When implemented properly, the right tools can free up time for instruction, help teachers intervene more effectively, and give educators a little more breathing room.
Turning appreciation into action
Teacher Appreciation Week shouldn’t be the only time of year we acknowledge the people at the heart of our schools—or the only time we work to alleviate the challenges of their jobs. Instead, it should serve as the starting point for building systems that prove we value their time, talent and well-being.
