In the 2018 academic year, the Educational Support Partnership disclosed that a huge number of teachers and educators had experienced signs, in their life, of mental health. Based on this study; of those who showed symptoms, 43 per cent of them were on the spectrum of anxiety.
Anxiety can be shown in many forms, some physical, some that nobody can see at all, and others that cannot be seen but are evidently there. The 43 per cent of teachers who showed physical symptoms included mood swings, tearfulness, muscle tension, panic attacks and headaches. Is a teacher able to teach to their best ability if they have any of these?
If somebody is suffering with an anxiety disorder, they may have embedded their feelings and behaviours deep down and can commonly brush off people trying to help them. One aspect that is always highlighted within mental health, if you feel somebody is suffering; do not judge, just be there for them and listen to what they have to say.
What do we think is causing a crippling anxiety problem with our teachers? Behaviour? Workload? SLT indifferences? Maybe all three?
