Heading toward the presidential election, teachers experienced heightened political pressure piled onto their own stress about the election’s outcome.
Teaching the election feels like a no-win imperative to some teachers, while others are banned from discussing politics. Teachers also experience burnout due to the intense political climate and their own fears about the potential impact of another Trump administration on the field.
Archetypes: Politicization of Public Education, Mental Health & Wellness, Teaching Conditions
Sample Educator Conversations
- Some teachers want to “strategize how to teach the election” with their colleagues. Educators are considering their teaching responsibilty to their students around election issues, especially in a heated climate. One teacher shares, “I’m spending the next few days creating and compiling my favorite lesson plans for teaching students about democracy, discussion, tolerance, and conviction. I really hope these help teachers lead lessons that bring students together this election season.”
- The political climate is driving burnout, with one educator writing that it’s “probably the main driving force leading teachers out of the profession.”
- Teachers feel worried about the impact of the presidential election on their own profession: “So we’re just supposed to pretend that the Republicans aren’t pushing this BIG HONKIN AGENDA that includes 44 pages on how to dismantle public education?”