Written by Dr. Jared Scherz, TeacherCoach
When I was eleven, I went on a rock-climbing trip in Boulder, Colorado. I remember pacing nervously before my first climb as the instructors prepared the ropes and gear. Suddenly an instructor barked, “Don’t step on the rope.” I was puzzled — how could a rope almost as thick as my leg be harmed by a roughly 80-pound kid?
What I learned that day, and have remembered ever since, is that even the sturdiest rope can be weakened over time. A single grain of sand or a tiny bit of glass on the bottom of my shoe, worked into the fibers with each step and tug, can slowly damage the rope until the damage becomes invisible and irreversible.
That rope is a metaphor for stress. Stress is a quiet, cumulative force that erodes well-being and performance, often remaining unnoticed until physical or mental symptoms emerge. Instead of listening to early bodily warnings — fatigue, tension, disrupted sleep — we sometimes wait until the signs cluster into diagnosable conditions.
Framing stress as “dis-ease” — a state in which needs are unmet or threatened — helps us recognize warning signs earlier and act more deliberately. In education, stress can be both a cause and a consequence of many pervasive problems, including:
- Obesity
- Burnout
- Mental health concerns
- Staff turnover
- Lack of engagement
- Student behavior issues
- Addictive behaviors, including excessive technology use
When stress is a root cause, it requires proactive prevention and systemic change. When stress is the outcome of other pressures, the support needed is different. Schools and districts often mix up prevention and intervention, or neglect both, which undermines both faculty and student well-being.
For example, the stress teachers feel that contributes to student behavior problems is not the same as the stress they experience after a student misbehaves. Causative stress often comes from feeling powerless, overwhelmed, or despondent. Resultant stress tends to look like frustration, a sense of ineffectiveness, or hypervigilance.
To address causative stress, leaders should focus on restoring influence and clarity—helping staff understand systems, decision-making, and organizational dynamics. To address resultant stress, offer targeted supports that reduce isolation, clarify expectations, and rebuild a sense of efficacy.
Both types of stress affect fundamental areas of functioning:
- Energy levels
- Concentration and attention
- Motivation
- Mood
- Relationships at work and home
Understanding stress in practical terms helps convert vague worry into actionable steps. Below is a simple framework for identifying how stress forms and what to do about it.
A New Look at Stress
Stress unfolds at the intersection of three elements: the source of tension, how we experience that tension, and the actions we take to respond.
Part I — Source
Stress begins with a discrepancy or mismatch in one of three areas:
- The difference between what we want and what we need (e.g., I want a vacation, but I need to save money).
- The gap between what is expected and what is possible (e.g., I’m expected to submit grades tonight, but doing so would cost me needed sleep).
- Conflict between values and behavior (e.g., I want to speak honestly with a parent, but I avoid conflict).
Part II — Experience
Next, assess how you are experiencing the tension. This comes down to the relationship between the intensity of the stressor and your tolerance or capacity to endure it:
- Your tolerance is exceeded by the intensity of the duress — distress is high.
- Your tolerance matches the intensity — the situation is manageable.
- Your tolerance exceeds the intensity — you’re likely to cope effectively.
Part III — Response
The actions you take to manage tension determine whether stress is alleviated or compounded:
- Actions that directly meet the unmet need (e.g., feeling lonely and calling a friend) tend to resolve stress sustainably.
- Actions that provide temporary relief but leave the underlying problem intact (e.g., exercising to distract from loneliness) can be helpful short-term but may not solve the root cause.
- Actions unrelated to the need — or that worsen it (e.g., eating to cope with loneliness when the underlying issue is social isolation) — can increase stress over time.
Result: High stress typically involves a significant mismatch at the origin of tension, low tolerance for distress, and coping strategies that do not repair the underlying need or that exacerbate the problem. By contrast, when origin, tolerance, and response align, stress is reduced and functioning improves.
Resource
TeacherCoach: Individual educators can enroll quickly in online learning modules that address classroom management, mental health, and professional development. School districts can create custom portals and assemble curated sets of engagements tailored to local needs.
About Jared Scherz, Ph.D., M.Ed., ACS
Dr. Jared Scherz is a clinical psychologist, author, and educational consultant with more than two decades of experience working with educators. He earned a Master’s in Education from Penn State and later completed a Ph.D. Dr. Scherz has worked as an elementary school guidance counselor, runs a clinical practice, and develops tools and programs designed to reduce school violence and improve mental health supports.
In his coaching and consulting, Dr. Scherz helps educators understand what keeps them stuck so they can pursue lasting change. His goal with TeacherCoach is to offer educators integrated, practical resources for both personal growth and professional development, helping them feel more effective, balanced, and fulfilled.