Feel discouraged?
Feel depressed, like things are going poorly in the classroom and having doubts
about whether you can cut it teaching? Don't worry - it's normal - over time as you get the hang of
teaching it goes away. According to an American Psychological Association
article on depression:
- People are depressed due to feeling a lack of control and mastery.
- "The best short-term therapy for depression is action-oriented. Therapy should be
focused and concrete; you need to know two things - What is making you unhappy? and What
can you do about it? When the therapy includes a clear action plan (for example, homework
assignments such as journal writing or brief art therapy sessions, the success rate with
depression can go up as much as 80-90%."
To understand the nature of all types of teacher-related challenges and get specific steps
to follow when dealing with them, see the Master Teacher pamphlet
series