The stress levels of students in the academic setting has gained great attention over the years, but has anyone ever stopped to consider how much pressure teachers must be under? Tish Jennings, Ph.D., an associate professor at University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education, and author of the book Mindfulness for Teachers, states that stress has become such a problem for professors that “50% of teachers are leaving the profession within five years.” Jennings has found that classrooms can turn into “pressure cookers” as a result of teachers not dealing with their emotions in constructive ways. Teachers have so many outward considerations to focus on while managing a classroom that they are unable to tune into themselves, which can greatly interfere with the student’s education. In this short video, Jennings emphasizes the importance of mindfulness-based exercises in relieving stress for teachers.

 

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