The Hidden Emotional Load of Teaching: What International Schools Need to Talk About

International schools in the Netherlands are often celebrated for their diversity, innovation, and global outlook. For many expatriate families, these schools provide stability during international moves and create supportive communities for children navigating different cultures and languages.

But behind the multicultural classrooms and globally minded curricula, another conversation is quietly emerging: the emotional well-being of teachers.

A recent study published in School Psychology (Inabnett & Long, 2026) examined the relationship between secondary traumatic stress (STS) and teacher retention. While the research focused on high-needs rural schools in the United States, its findings resonate far beyond North Louisiana — especially for international schools, where teachers often support students experiencing significant emotional and social transitions.

The study found that teachers experiencing higher levels of secondary traumatic stress were also more likely to consider leaving the profession altogether.

For international schools across the Netherlands, this raises an important question:

Are we paying enough attention to the emotional burden teachers carry?

What Is Secondary Traumatic Stress?

Secondary traumatic stress occurs when professionals absorb the emotional pain and trauma of the people they support. It is commonly discussed in healthcare, social work, and psychology — but increasingly, researchers are recognising its impact on teachers.

Teachers are often the first adults to notice when a child is struggling emotionally. In international school settings, students may be coping with:

• Frequent relocation and instability

• Family separation due to global careers

• Cultural adjustment challenges

• Academic pressure

• Identity and belonging struggles

• Anxiety linked to geopolitical instability or world events

• Family stress during expatriate transitions

While many international students are highly resilient, teachers often become emotional anchors for children navigating uncertainty.

Over time, constantly supporting students through distress can take a psychological toll.

Unlike ordinary workplace stress, secondary traumatic stress is deeply emotional.

Teachers may experience:

• Emotional exhaustion

• Sleep difficulties

• Anxiety or irritability

• Reduced empathy

• Feelings of helplessness

• Burnout

• A growing desire to leave the profession

The research by Inabnett and Long found that secondary traumatic stress was a significant predictor of teachers’ intention to leave teaching.

In other words, emotional overload is not simply a “well-being issue.” It may directly contribute to the global teacher retention crisis.

Why This Matters in International Schools

International schools in the Netherlands are currently facing many of the same staffing pressures seen across Europe:

• Teacher shortages

• Rising student mental health needs

• Increasing expectations from parents

• Expanding safeguarding responsibilities

• Recruitment competition between schools

At the same time, international schools often market themselves on pastoral care, inclusion, and holistic student development. These are valuable goals — but they also place emotional demands on educators.

Many teachers working in international schools describe their roles as extending far beyond academics. They are mentors, counsellors, cultural mediators, and emotional support systems.

For expatriate families, this emotional support can be life-changing.

But for teachers, the cumulative impact can become overwhelming if schools do not actively support staff well-being.

The International Context Adds Another Layer

Teaching abroad can already be emotionally complex.

Many international educators in the Netherlands are themselves living far from family support networks. Some are navigating visa uncertainty, housing pressures, or cultural adaptation alongside demanding workloads.

This creates an important dynamic:teachers are often supporting students through transition while simultaneously managing their own transitions.

In highly mobile international communities, there can also be pressure to maintain positivity and resilience at all times. Teachers may hesitate to discuss emotional fatigue because they fear appearing “unable to cope.”

As a result, secondary traumatic stress may go unnoticed until burnout becomes severe.

What Schools Can Do

The study highlights the need for schools to take teacher emotional well-being seriously — not only for humanitarian reasons, but also for long-term staff retention.

International schools are uniquely positioned to lead in this area.

Some practical steps could include:

1. Normalising Conversations About Emotional Load

Teacher well-being initiatives often focus on workload, but emotional strain deserves equal attention.

Schools can create safer spaces for staff to discuss:

• Compassion fatigue

• Emotional exhaustion

• Difficult student situations

• Boundaries and self-care

Simply acknowledging that emotional labour exists can reduce stigma.

2. Training Leaders to Recognise STS

School leaders and HR teams should understand the signs of secondary traumatic stress.

A teacher who appears disengaged or overwhelmed may not be “losing motivation” — they may be carrying significant emotional stress from supporting students in crisis.

Early recognition matters.

3. Strengthening Mental Health Support for Staff

Some international schools already offer employee assistance programmes or counselling support, but awareness and accessibility vary widely.

Schools may need to ask:

• Do teachers feel safe using these services?

• Are mental health resources culturally inclusive?

• Are they proactive or only reactive?

4. Building Sustainable Pastoral Systems

Pastoral care should not depend on individual teachers absorbing unlimited emotional responsibility.

Strong safeguarding structures, counselling teams, and collaborative support systems help prevent emotional overload from falling disproportionately on classroom teachers.

A Bigger Conversation About Retention

The global teacher shortage is often framed around salary, workload, or policy. Those issues matter enormously.

But emotional sustainability matters too.

Teachers stay in schools where they feel supported — not only professionally, but psychologically.

For international schools in the Netherlands, investing in teacher well-being is not separate from educational excellence. It is foundational to it.

Because ultimately, schools cannot provide emotionally safe environments for students if the adults inside them are emotionally depleted.

Final Thoughts

The findings from Inabnett and Long’s study are a reminder that teaching is deeply human work.

In international schools, where students and families often rely heavily on trusted educators during periods of transition, the emotional role of teachers becomes even more significant.

As international communities across the Netherlands continue to grow, schools may need to rethink what teacher support truly means.

Not just better performance.Not just better retention.But healthier, more sustainable environments for the people shaping the next generation of global citizens.