“It's really hard to stand in front of the class when you're trying not to cry”: Teachers' emotional labor following a miscarriage experience

Abstract

Teachers' perceptions of their professional roles, including norms for how to feel, influence their experiences teaching following a personal loss, such as a miscarriage. Using qualitative coding methods, I analyzed in-depth interviews with teachers who taught following a miscarriage to identify how they managed their emotions related to loss. I found that teachers' perceptions of professional expectations resulted in specific challenges for them following a miscarriage and that teachers engaged in emotional labor to navigate: the silence and stigma surrounding miscarriage; logistical obstacles to taking leave; relationship-building with students; and curricular decisions. Understanding how teachers who were grieving managed their emotions helps school leaders and researchers develop policies and interventions that account for teachers’ emotional labor during bereavement.

Keywords

• teacher grief
• miscarriage
• emotional labor
• teachers' emotions
• professional expectations for teachers
• SHAP value