Does Emotional Health Impact Teacher Effectiveness?
What do you think? Do you have an answer to that question? Email me if you do. I’d be curious to read your answer.
As for me — ummmm — I’m not sure how I would answer it. I think it’s a complicated question. First, it begs the answer to ‘what does an effective teacher do?’ Additionally, I think different stakeholders (administrators, parents, other teachers, guidance staff, students, etc.) have different views on what effective teachers do.
I DO think it would be easy to argue that emotionally UNhealthy people can be very effective at doing certain things.
Take me for example. Most of my life I’ve generally been emotionally unhealthy. But that didn’t keep me from overworking my ass off and winning state and national teaching awards. So I guess many people would say that I’ve been effective. BUT, during that same teaching career, I’ve suffered burn out, had paralyzing personal crises, and started a years-long journey of seeing professional therapists.
Here is a list (generated by ChatGPT) entitled “Habits Of Emotionally Healthy People.” (Gosh. Double gosh. Yep — loads of unhealth in my life according to this list.)
An emotionally healthy person isn’t perfect, but they’ve cultivated habits that help them navigate life with resilience, authenticity, and relational depth. Here are key habits that emotionally healthy people tend to practice:
1. They Notice and Name Their Emotions
They regularly check in with themselves.
They can identify emotions like anger, sadness, fear, joy, or shame, without dismissing or moralizing them.
They don't say, “I shouldn’t feel this way.” Instead, they ask, “What is this feeling trying to tell me?”
2. They Don’t Minimize or Ignore Pain
They recognize that emotional wounds matter—even if others think they “shouldn’t be a big deal.”
They give themselves permission to grieve losses, acknowledge disappointments, and process wounds rather than stuffing or avoiding them.
3. They Set Healthy Boundaries
They say no without guilt when something violates their values or capacity.
They know their limits, and they protect their time, energy, and emotional space with kindness and clarity.
They understand that boundaries are not rejection—they are a form of self-respect and relational honesty.
4. They Take Responsibility for Themselves
They own their choices, behaviors, and growth.
They don’t blame others for everything, but also don’t take on what isn’t theirs.
They are actively healing their wounds rather than expecting others to heal them.
5. They Practice Vulnerability
They can say, “I’m struggling,” “I was hurt by that,” or “I need help.”
They invite safe people into their inner world and don’t pretend everything’s fine when it isn’t.
6. They Stay Curious, Not Judgmental
Toward others and themselves.
They approach hard conversations and emotions with curiosity rather than defensiveness.
They ask, “What’s going on beneath the surface?” instead of making quick assumptions.
7. They Regulate, Not Suppress
They don’t act on every impulse or feeling, but neither do they shut them down.
They use tools like breathing, reflection, movement, prayer, or therapy to bring their nervous system back to a calm, grounded place.
8. They Live in Alignment with Their Values
They know what matters to them and try to live congruently.
They don’t betray themselves just to gain approval or avoid conflict.
Their integrity brings inner peace—even when it’s hard.
9. They Cultivate Safe Relationships
They are drawn to mutual, respectful, attuned connections.
They recognize unsafe dynamics (e.g., gaslighting, manipulation, chronic invalidation) and don’t normalize or tolerate them.
They choose connection over control.
10. They Make Room for Joy
Emotional health isn’t just about pain—it also includes celebration.
They delight in small pleasures, practice gratitude, and give themselves permission to enjoy life without guilt or shame.
Bonus:
They Are Willing to Grow
Emotional health is a lifelong journey, not a finish line.
They welcome feedback, seek help when needed, and see healing as ongoing—not a sign of failure but of maturity.
Wow. I love that list so much. It is so relieving for me to read even though I continue to need so much growth in these areas.
Sadly, I think some people would say that if I grew these habits into my life that it would make me less of an effective teacher. (They might say I’d become less dedicated — I might make more space in my life for self-care and wouldn’t sacrifice enough for students like more dedicated teachers do.)
Interestingly, other people might say that growing these habits into my life would make me more effective. (They would note that I could become more empathetic and more accessible to students who suffer emotional pain. Being more in touch with my own humanity would allow me to teach and influence my human students more effectively.)
Regardless of how emotional health affects teaching, I’m seeing that it does affect my ability to cope with my life’s pressures, which include my professional pressures. I’m becoming a more joyful professional…and that is becoming a sweet treasure to me at least.
