“Acting often and everywhere:” Teachers’ emotional labor across professional interactions and responsibilities

Abstract

Teaching is an emotional practice. In this study, we draw on open-ended survey responses from K-12 educators working in the U.S. to explore how teachers' emotional labor varies across professional responsibilities and interactions. We investigate how teachers' emotional interactions are mutually informed by the teacher, the school context, and the type of interpersonal interaction. Findings show that emotional labor is embedded across teachers’ professional responsibilities and interactions, and that teachers engage in emotional labor for a variety of professional purposes. We discuss implications for teacher development and teacher sustainability, with recommendations for teacher educators and school leaders.