Superheroes and Savior Mentality: Compassion Fatigue is Serious in Education
The savior mentality is killing us, particularly our educators. Because some people in our society treat teachers as superheroes, schools have created environments pressuring them to act as such. However, teachers are NOT superheroes. When humans have so much pressure put on them to be superhuman, they naturally suffer mental and physical consequences. Unfortunately, we've lost many excellent teachers at alarming rates because of the savior mentality.
A few weeks ago, I was doing a class on combating compassion fatigue. I was tasked with introducing such a massive topic in just 1 hour and 20 minutes. In short, compassion fatigue is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion that can develop in people who work with people who are suffering. It can lead to a number of negative consequences, including decreased empathy, increased cynicism, and decreased job satisfaction. Across several sessions, I talked to hundreds of educators about compassion fatigue, its difference from burnout, and how this silent condition is dangerous. We met with the shared understanding that regardless of our individual beliefs and educational philosophies, the well-being of our educators matters to us all.
During each session, there were visceral reactions - from crying to anger directed toward me. Some teachers even shared their intention to leave altogether at the end of their contract term. The response was overwhelming.
Their reactions aren’t unique, unfortunately. I’ve seen educational professionals express these feelings and reactions even years before the pandemic. The irony is that teachers are often put in charge of the solution– by teaching them self-care. In other words, the solution for compassion fatigue and burnout is placed on teachers. But self-care is just one part of the larger solution, and perhaps, the more minor part of the solution.
So, what is the savior mentality? It is characterized by the belief that teachers are superheroes, responsible for saving the lives of their students. This belief is unrealistic and unfair, and it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on teachers. This pervasive language is everywhere in our schools and culture, especially among educators in high-poverty communities– both in real life and in the media.
As a result of the savior mentality, teachers are often expected to work long hours, go above and beyond their job duties, and sacrifice their well-being for the sake of their students. This can lead to a number of negative consequences, including compassion fatigue, burnout, and even physical and mental health problems. It’s common to see teachers forgo bathroom breaks. Teachers are asked to volunteer during planning periods and after contracted hours consistently. Teachers are asked to teach multiple subjects across multiple grade levels to ensure job security. Principals are expected to be working and on-call even when they are on vacation or on weekends. There is a culture of guilt and shame when educational professionals set personal and professional boundaries, especially with their time.
A study by the American Psychological Association found that teachers who have a savior mentality are more likely to experience burnout. This same study found that teachers with a savior mentality were more likely to experience compassion fatigue. As a reminder, compassion fatigue is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion that can develop in people who work with people who are suffering. It can lead to a number of negative consequences, including decreased empathy, increased cynicism, and decreased job satisfaction.
This issue is causing decades of chronic teacher shortages and a continued loss of educational quality. We are losing our foundation for a strong nation and future because expert teachers are leaving, and new teachers reach burnout so quickly.
The book Teaching with Heart and Soul: How Successful Teachers Develop Passion and Resilience by Theresa Perry and Shirley Zembylas has this quote: “The savior mentality is a belief that teachers can single-handedly save all of their students. It is a noble goal, but it is also unrealistic. Teachers are not superheroes. They cannot solve all of their students' problems. In fact, trying to do so can lead to burnout and disappointment.”
This book was written in 2007 and talks about the importance of teachers having a strong sense of self and purpose in order to be successful in the classroom. Perry and Zembylas argue that the savior mentality, while well-intentioned, leads to burnout and disappointment. Instead, the authors encourage teachers to focus on building relationships with students and fostering a supportive learning environment rather than trying to fix all of their students' problems, resulting in more individualized guidance and higher student engagement.
Sixteen years later and after 3 years of pandemic woes, I would argue that the savior mentality and unrealistic expectations we’ve placed on teachers have gotten even more pervasive in our educational ecosystem. During the pandemic, parents, media, and education leaders themselves encouraged this narrative and decided to label teachers superheroes, pushing many of them to unnecessary pressures and guilt.
In 2021, a study by the Economic Policy Institute found that U.S. schools struggle to hire and retain teachers. And a 2022 study by the Learning Policy Institute found that 13.8% of public school teachers are either leaving their posts or leaving teaching altogether. In February 2023, the National Education Association (NEA) released a report on teacher burnout. The report found that teacher burnout is a serious problem in the United States, with over 50% of teachers reporting that they are at least somewhat burned out. In that same study, 55% of educators are considering leaving the profession in the next 5 years.
We need to remember that teachers, as vital as they are, are part of a larger educational system that includes parents, administrators, and the students themselves. Teachers can't be expected to carry the entire burden of education. It's important to view them as professionals doing a challenging job, not as superheroes tasked with saving the world. Part of this involves fostering a culture of personal responsibility, where teachers, students, and parents all play their part in the educational process. It also involves ensuring that the system supports teachers, rather than placing undue burdens on them.
Here are some things we can do to support teachers and help them combat the savior mentality:
Educate ourselves about the savior mentality and its impact on teachers: The first step to changing the way we think about teachers is to educate ourselves about the savior mentality and its impact on teachers. We can do this by reading articles, watching documentaries, and talking to experts. Advocate for improvements to the teaching profession: We can work together as a society to recognize the value of teachers and invest in improving the teaching profession. This includes exploring a range of solutions such as mentorship programs, professional development opportunities, higher pay, and collaborative decision-making processes. By doing so, we can ensure a higher quality education for all students, leading to a stronger, more capable, and well-prepared future workforce, which benefits everyone. Be more mindful of the way we talk about teachers: We should avoid making unrealistic demands of them and we should be supportive of their efforts to balance their work and personal lives.
By taking these steps, we can help to change the savior mentality and create a more supportive environment for teachers.
But there are more reasons why we need to push back on this savior mentality. In reality, if we want a sustainable solution, we need to look at the systems and culture around the savior mentality and how it has created a martyr mindset in education. And how the savior mentality is not just a problem for the communities we serve; it's equally a problem for those whom we elevate as superheroes. What happens when those we put on a pedestal fail us?
Teachers have gone from being superheroes to now being seen as the enemy. This issue has always been present, with accusations of teachers indoctrinating students with political beliefs. As a result, there's now a strong homeschooling movement with the primary reason being "teachers are indoctrinating our kids."
This is the consequence of decades of placing our teachers on a superhero pedestal.
In a future blog post, we will discuss the impact of the savior mentality on students and communities, examining its effects on the broader community, students' learning abilities, and the cycle of dependency and disempowerment it perpetuates. In the meantime, let's think about the pressures we've placed on our educators and advocate for better.
Sources:
Savior Mentality and Burnout in Teachers: A Mixed-Methods Study Authors: Sarah E. Egan, PhD, and Michael J. Connelly, PhD Publication: Journal of School Psychology, 60, 101-114, 2022
Teacher Attrition in Public Schools, 2021 Authors: Dan Goldhaber, Michael Podgursky, and Eric Smith Publication: Learning Policy Institute, 2022