Teaching has always been one of the most meaningful professions, but today, it is also one of the most emotionally demanding. Educators are carrying far more than lesson plans and grading. They are supporting students through anxiety, trauma, behavioral challenges, and academic pressure, often while managing their own stress with limited resources and support.
Teacher burnout has reached crisis levels. According to a study from the American Educational Research Association, teachers in the United States are 40% more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety than other working professionals. Many report feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, and unsupported, conditions that lead to burnout, absenteeism, and ultimately, leaving the profession altogether.
When teachers are struggling, students feel it too. Supporting educator wellbeing is not separate from student success, it is essential to it.
The Emotional Weight Teachers Carry
Today’s teachers are not only educators; they are counselors, crisis responders, and emotional anchors for their students. They are expected to manage classrooms impacted by rising mental health challenges, increased behavioral issues, and the lingering effects of trauma, all while meeting academic standards and accountability measures.
Without tools to support their own emotional health, many teachers are left running on empty.
How Choose Love for Schools Supports Teachers
The Choose Love Movement was created by teachers, for teachers, with a deep understanding that educators must be supported emotionally in order to effectively support their students. In fact in a 2025 survey, educators have reported:
- 85% reported increased job satisfaction as a result of teaching Choose Love™;
- 91% have benefited personally from the Choose Love™ program;
- 98% of educators who responded consider the Choose Love™ curriculum important for themselves and their students.
Here’s how the Choose Love program helps reduce teacher burnout:
1. Practical Tools for Emotional Regulation
CLS provides simple, research-based strategies that help teachers manage stress, regulate emotions, and respond rather than react, both in and out of the classroom. These tools empower educators to navigate challenging moments with greater calm and confidence.
2. Improved Classroom Climate
When students learn essential life skills, classrooms become safer, more respectful, and more connected. Reduced behavioral disruptions mean teachers spend less time managing conflict and more time doing what they love, teaching.
3. A Culture of Compassion and Support
CLS helps schools shift from a culture of punishment and pressure to one rooted in understanding and connection. Teachers report feeling more supported by their school communities and more aligned with their purpose.
4. Reconnection to Purpose
Burnout often comes from losing sight of “why” we began teaching in the first place. CLS reminds educators that their work is about shaping hearts as well as minds. That sense of meaning is one of the strongest protectors against burnout.
Supporting Teachers Is a Moral Imperative
Teacher mental health is not a luxury, it is a necessity. When educators are emotionally supported, they are more engaged, more effective, and more likely to stay in the profession. Students benefit academically, socially, and emotionally, and entire school communities become stronger.
CLS is now implemented in more than 17,000 schools worldwide, not only supporting students’ mental health but also helping educators feel more resilient, connected, and valued.
If we want our children to thrive, we must first take care of the adults guiding them every day. By Choosing Love, for students and for teachers, we can begin to heal the burnout crisis and restore hope to our classrooms.
