Despite the significant strides made in our understanding of the human brain and its functions over recent years, there is a glaring gap in the application of this newfound knowledge to the sphere of education. This is of particular concern given the high attrition rates within the teaching profession, with research by the National Education Association revealing that approximately 44% of teachers leave the profession within five years1. Traditional explanations for this high turnover rate revolve around administrative burdens, compensation concerns, and emotional fatigue. However, a deeper examination of the physiological demands of teaching paints a more complex — and concerning — picture.
Teaching is a cognitively demanding profession. A teacher's role includes instructional delivery, behavior management, individual support, and assessment — all of which require different cognitive skills and the ability to switch between them quickly. This continuous task-switching creates what neuroscientists term "attention residue", a form of mental fatigue that can have a significant impact on a teacher's cognitive abilities2. Research from the University of Michigan has documented how this phenomenon uniquely affects educators, with each transition depleting resources in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation3.
What's more, teachers are expected to perform these cognitively demanding tasks in high-stress environments. The modern classroom is a bustling, dynamic space, with teachers required to manage simultaneous attention to dozens of emotional states, behavioral patterns, and learning needs across hours, days, and years. This sustained vigilance is not unlike the stress experienced by emergency responders; however, unlike acute stress situations, teachers face this neurochemical challenge chronically, without the opportunity for recovery4.
Such continuous cognitive demand and stress can trigger the overproduction of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress. An overabundance of cortisol can have detrimental effects on an individual's physical and mental health, contributing to conditions such as heart disease, depression, and anxiety5. This physiological toll of teaching, combined with the aforementioned attention residue, can have significant implications for a teacher's overall wellbeing and their ability to perform their professional duties effectively and sustainably.
Despite these challenges, there is a dearth of professional development resources that address the unique physiological demands of teaching. Training and support for teachers often focus on improving teaching techniques and classroom management, with little attention paid to the physical and mental health needs of teachers themselves. This represents a significant oversight in the field of education and one that, if addressed, could help to mitigate the high rates of teacher attrition and improve the overall quality of education.
It is clear that the profession of teaching demands a reevaluation of not only the pedagogical skills and knowledge required but also the physical and mental wellbeing of educators. It is imperative that we incorporate our understanding of the neurobiological toll of teaching into professional development programs, providing teachers with the tools they need to manage the unique physiological demands of their profession. Only by doing so can we hope to create a sustainable, effective, and resilient teaching profession that can meet the needs of the modern classroom.
National Education Association. "Teacher Turnover: Why It Matters and What We Can Do About It." NEA, 2017.
Rosen, Christine. "The Myth of Multitasking." The New Atlantis, no. 20 (2008): 105-110.
Sripada, Chandra, John Jonides, and Daniel E. Kessler. "Methylphenidate blocks effort-induced depletion of regulatory control in healthy volunteers." Psychological science 26, no. 6 (2015): 1227-1234.
McEwen, Bruce S., and Peter J. Gianaros. "Stress-and allostasis-induced brain plasticity." Annual review of medicine 62 (2011): 431-445.
Kim, Pilyoung, Gary W. Evans, Michael Angstadt, S. Shaun Ho, Chandra S. Sripada, K. Luan Phan, Amy Ehnert Margolin, and John Jonides. "Effects of childhood poverty and chronic stress on emotion regulatory brain function in adulthood." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110, no. 46 (2013): 18442-18447.