Say Goodbye to Guilt

Tricia Brown, a second-grade teacher, was asked what she was most proud of by her principal. Instead of discussing her accomplishments in cultivating connection and safety among her English language learner students, she became emotional and felt like she had more to do. This feeling of always wanting to do more can lead to teacher guilt, which is common among educators. Teacher guilt includes feeling bad about taking sick days, leaving on time, or not grading assignments at home. Many educators feel overwhelmed by a lack of support and the pressure to do everything for their students. This burden is exacerbated by underfunding in schools.