I get this very question all the time. At the beginning of my career, I was deeply rooted in edtech. I was an elementary teacher who often was diving into new engaging edtech ways to engage my students. Then I was a technology integrator, and finally, a Director of Innovation and Technology to round my career out. My foundation is technology and edtech. When I work in areas that discuss innovation and technology, I feel a sense of being home. It continues to be the initial passion area that I credit with pulling me out of being a burnt-out teacher.
But, being a burnt-out teacher led me to another passion area: mental health for educators. Because I've been leaning into this passion area for so long, I often get asked how I could have gone from edtech to mental health with the insinuation that it's a far cry from one to the other. I usually respond with a reflective question: Do you think technology and mental health aren't related? This question elicits something like an "Ah, yes" and a knowing nod. The implication is that excessive technology use can cause mental health issues. That's not wrong, we have studies for that. However, that's not what I mean.
The equation that I'm referring to looks more like:
Overwhelm (mental health) = Reduced Mental and Emotional Capacity (to innovate and create with or without technology)
When we are overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, disengaged, burnt out, demoralized, or a host of other mental health challenges that teachers may experience, we have less capacity to think innovatively or creatively. Innovative and divergent thought is an "extra." It takes extra energy, extra emotional and mental capacity, and engagement in order to employ that kind of thinking. Suppose we are overloaded, exhausted, or otherwise distressed. In that case, it is more difficult to think and do in a fashion that is outside of what we normally do, that asks us to disrupt our thinking or take a risk that may fail and potentially cause stress and emotional turmoil.
Below, I've created narratives in the form of potential internal dialogue that illustrate what I've just said.
"It's the summer and I'm supposed to be resting but the district has professional learning opportunities and I feel like I need to attend. I keep thinking about my biology unit and how I've been teaching it the same way for the last 10 years. I really need to change it. I've seen some of the innovative technology tools that are out to help visualize concepts in this topic, but I'm still exhausted from last year. I simply do not have the mental capacity to try to take on completely rewriting a unit right now. The kids have been learning for the last 10 years. Keeping it the same for one more year won't hurt them."
In this situation, exhaustion and burnout have caused this teacher to stop planning for a new unit, even though they recognize it needs to be done. Because they are already burnt out, overwhelm is a part of that, so the district's professional learning puts them over the edge. The thought of learning the new technology and integrating it into their unit feels like it's too much. To protect themselves from more overwhelm and exhaustion, they choose to put the unit aside for this school year. Their mental health challenges have thwarted their innovative revamp of their unit.
"We have yet another technology training today after school. This time it's on AI. I'm so frustrated with the way the students are using AI already and we haven't been given enough training to help. Also, the district policies are changing so quickly that I can't keep up! I have so much on my plate right now I'm barely keeping my head above water. I don't understand AI and don't have the time to understand it. I just wish the district would put policies in place so students stop using it so they quit cheating!"
In this case, frustration is mounting for a teacher who is overwhelmed with everything they have on their plates. The outcome is that instead of innovating, they fall back on compliance measures because they do not feel like they have the capacity to take on this big challenge. If the teacher were more open, they may find that AI can alleviate some of their workload so they have a bit more time. Also, learning to incorporate AI in their classroom instructionally may help with the cheating they are experiencing. However, they don't have the mental capacity to take on the cognitive load it would require to learn the tools and then implement them innovatively with their students.
"I was talking to the new teacher today and she has a great idea for a new maps unit, but it involves using a technology that I'm not comfortable with. I don't think she understands how bad it would be if we take that risk and it fails. I can't imagine how many calls from parents I'd get not to mention needing to answer to administration. I just don't have the energy for all that. Plus, I've tried new things in the past that the administration has not liked, and I'm just not willing to do it again. I think I'll stick to the maps worksheets I've always used."
In this final scenario, the teacher wants to take a risk (part of innovation) but has not been supported in risk-taking in the past. Everyone loves a risk when it works...then there is praise and clapping and probably donuts, but we don't normally talk about the emotional toll it takes when a risk fails. Risk-taking, part of innovation, is a cycle. Failure is a part of that cycle. However, if you're already feeling demoralized at least partially because of how risk-taking has been perceived in the past, you'll be less likely to take a risk. Again, this comes from a place of this teacher trying to protect themselves emotionally not only from the emotional toll of the potential failure but also from the backlash that can come from it.
Now, after reading those scenarios I guarantee that I will have some people who react with, "Well, that's their job! They'd do it if they were professionals!" However, teachers are also humans. They need to be given the support that they need in order to have the chance to think innovatively. They are not choosing to feel as they do. If given the chance, most people would welcome the capacity to be creative or innovative. It's usually where we find our passions and excitement. Nobody is choosing to turn down a free dose of dopamine (Dopamine acts on areas of the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation (Healthline)).
As districts, before we ask teachers to do one more thing, we have the opportunity to first ask if they have the mental and emotional capacity to take on another thing especially when the "new thing" has innovative or divergent thought built into the learning process. If not, we need to ask how we can make room in other ways. I'll be addressing ideas for that in an upcoming blog post.
Understanding that mental health challenges can be linked to a lack of divergent thought is really about getting to the root of a teacher's lack of interest in change, risk-taking, and innovation. It's about understanding that humans sometimes feel like they can't make a decision to invite change because they don't have the capacity to take on that change, which feels less of a choice to them and more of a necessity. We can make changes to support teachers in their innovative thinking, but sometimes it takes moving our brains away from technology and innovation to human basic needs, which in many cases, aren't being met right now. When I ask, "Do you think technology and mental health aren't related?" this is what I mean. The equation and the impact that they have on each other go both ways.
Want to check out my new Educator Engagement and Mental Health course? Visit Divergent EDUniversity (where you can also find my FREE Educator Self-Care course) below!