Anleeta Eaton-Buchanan Each day, I would get that dreaded, daily, routine question from a colleague, “How are you doing today?” And without hesitation, I would muster up a smile, say “fine,” and if I am really feeling myself, I’d add a clever anecdote or synopsis of my weekend. Boom. I have no issues or problems, […]
depression
Take One For the Team: The Need for Self-Care
In the wee hours of this morning, another of my 24-year-old son’s friends killed himself. I say another because the first one was about a year ago. Two close friends in two years. Here at The Educator’s Room, we constantly talk about self-care. We constantly are saying how important it is to take care of ourselves […]
Depression Kills Teachers if Left Untreated: It Should Not Kill Their Careers
Recently, I learned that I have been blackballed from a school district from what was cited as “poor performance” after receiving summary evaluation marks that demonstrated performance far above “poor.” In talking to people I used to work for, the only conclusion I could come to (since the school district failed to provide me with […]
The Death of Reflection in English/Language Arts Classrooms
I had the saddest experience today. In English IV, British Literature, I assign my students a coat of arms assignment. They have to design a personal coat of arms on a poster then write about the color, animals, motto, and research their first and last name. They have to write an experience they went through […]
Surviving Teacher Depression
I think I have it figured out! After 22 years of listening to teachers discuss their depression, I just had to ask myself, “Why do teachers suffer from SO much depression?” Every year, teachers by the thousands report symptoms of depression or anxiety. I’ve expressed this many times myself. While clinical depression is caused by […]
Teaching in a Time of Coercion
Last week, my fellow TER writer, Jessica Classen, wrote about being kinder to our students in the classroom. It reminded me of some research that came out a few years ago about how the levels of depression and anxiety rise in societies that have higher levels of coercion. I have been thinking a lot about how we […]
Our Dirty Secret: Teachers Have Feelings
I’m going to say something controversial. If you have children reading over your shoulder or a perhaps even a sensitive grandma looking on, I’m giving you fair warning. The content of this post might just rock someone’s world, because it’s akin to saying Santa Claus doesn’t exist. Did you clear the room yet? Okay. So, now […]