Teacher Stress in the Times of COVID: An Exploration of Long-Term Work Effects that Remain Post-Pandemic

Jacob Scott, Traci Weinstein, Taylor Stande, and Ivy Schillinger

Stress and burnout have been closely associated with numerous physical and psychosocial issues among teachers. The COVID-19 pandemic was a particularly stressful period within education, contributing heavily to increased stress and burnout among teachers.

For English Language Learner (ELL) teachers, previous research has shown that the job presents unique stressors. Given the educational landscape during COVID-related school closures, this study examined the specific stressors that affected ELL teachers during the lockdown, as well as those that have remained post-pandemic.

The study’s guiding research question asked teachers which specific aspects of their jobs changed during the pandemic and how their work has remained fundamentally changed.

Researchers conducted 60-minute structured interviews with ELL teachers working in public schools. The first round of interviews was conducted as schools were beginning to reopen following pandemic-related closures. Follow-up interviews were conducted three years later to determine the pandemic’s long-term effects on the work of ELL teachers.

The main themes that emerged from the data analysis included:

• Communication: Stress caused by the additional effort required to communicate with students.
• Masking: Stress associated with difficulties caused by masks.
• Student engagement: Stress resulting from a lack of student engagement during the lockdown.
• Self-efficacy: The ability of some teachers to maintain a sense of self-efficacy during the lockdown.
• Digital divide: Differences among students and teachers in both access to the technology required for virtual learning and knowledge of how to use it.
• Loss of structure: Stress caused by the sudden disappearance of the established academic structure.
• Loneliness: Feelings of isolation during the pandemic.

The study highlights how the pandemic affected stress and burnout among ELL teachers, particularly its lasting influence on their daily work.

The findings may help school systems better support educators and develop strategies to minimize stress and burnout across the teaching profession.