“If teachers can’t manage student behavior today, they must be worse than they used to be.” It’s a claim I’ve heard often, particularly from people who have never worked in a school. As a former teacher, this claim makes me furious. The belief is simplistic and wrong. Teachers are not worse than they used to be. The job has fundamentally changed—especially when it comes to student behavior—and that has made success harder for even the most skilled teachers.
What exactly are those changes? For one, teachers are constantly taking on new responsibilities that extend far beyond instruction to include academic differentiation, social-emotional learning, and increased documentation and compliance. This stands in sharp contrast to earlier expectations, which were more narrowly centered on instruction.
Teachers are also supporting a student population with more complex needs than ever before. These range from behavioral to academic to emotional and mental health challenges. Compared to pre-pandemic years, teachers are reporting that these needs are both more widespread and more intensive.
On the behavioral side, teachers report that disruptions have become more persistent and more serious. An EdWeek survey in 2023 found that 70 percent of educators said students were misbehaving more than in 2019. These challenges are now a routine part of teaching, as 58 percent of teachers report addressing behavioral issues every day in their classrooms, in addition to their teaching duties. The pandemic has only intensified these challenges, with 48 percent of teachers, school leaders, and district leaders in 2025 stating that behaviors were worse when compared to pre-pandemic behaviors.
Academically, the challenges are just as significant. Before the pandemic, teachers reported that 40 to 60 percent of students were showing signs of disengagement in learning. After the pandemic, over 80 percent of teachers said that student motivation and engagement had declined even more. Today, 47 percent of teachers say that students showing little or no interest in learning is a major problem in their classrooms. The share rises to 58 percent among high school teachers. In my experience, teachers go above and beyond to make learning both engaging and differentiated, yet many students remain disengaged. When students are disengaged, even strong instruction has limited impact, making it far more difficult for teachers to improve academic outcomes.
The mental and emotional demands are equally pressing. Since the start of the pandemic, 69 percent of public schools have reported an increase in the share of students seeking mental health services compared to pre-pandemic levels. Today, 28 percent of teachers report that they have to help students with mental health challenges daily. Additionally, 48 percent of teachers say that anxiety and depression are major problems among students who attend their school. These realities create increasingly difficult working conditions for teachers who want to help these students but often lack the time, training, or resources to do so effectively.
A major factor driving these changes in the profession is the evolution—and, in some cases, weakening—of discipline policies. National data show that discipline practices shifted dramatically during the pandemic. The number of students suspended from school fell by roughly 75 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels, reflecting both policy changes and a reduced reliance on removing students from classrooms. About 66 percent of teachers report that current discipline practices at their school are very or somewhat mild, while just 2 percent report they are very or somewhat harsh. Another 31 percent say they are neither harsh nor mild. Additionally, 67 percent of teachers say they do not have enough influence over discipline practices at their school.
As a result, many educators feel unsupported by administrators when addressing student misbehavior. Elementary and middle school teachers in particular have said they need more support in dealing with student discipline from their administrators, and that support would improve their mental health. Without consistent consequences, it becomes far more difficult for teachers to establish and maintain classroom authority, even for experienced teachers working within unclear or inconsistent systems.
Let’s consider the central question again: Are teachers worse today if they can’t manage student behaviors? After considering all the ways that the job has changed over the last decade, the answer is clear. Teachers have not forgotten how to manage classrooms, we’re just asking them to do more than they ever have before. To be not just instructors, but also counselors, behavior specialists, family mediators, and more.
We should be far more cautious in treating every classroom challenge as a teacher failure, when many of these challenges reflect a broader societal strain. This is not to say that all teachers are effective today, but it’s important to remember that there were ineffective teachers in the past, too. Most teachers today are committed, capable, and working tirelessly under increasingly difficult working conditions. Rather than asking whether teachers are worse, we should be asking whether we are setting them up to succeed.
What, then, can administrators, district leaders, and policymakers do to improve working conditions for teachers?
- Strengthen educator preparation programs. The way these programs train prospective teachers is outdated and does not address the most crucial things teachers run into during their careers. Teacher candidates need more preparation for classroom management, behavior systems, and navigating parent and family dynamics, and less emphasis on abstract theory. More practical, applied training would better equip candidates for today’s classrooms.
- Rebuild school-based support systems. Although some schools and districts offer support to teachers of all levels, the lack of consistency across schools makes it difficult to ensure that everyone receives the support needed to succeed. Given the scope and complexity of the job, all teachers should have access to meaningful supports, such as instructional coaching, mentorship for early-career teachers, and targeted professional development. While these supports may not eliminate the challenges teachers face, they can make them far more manageable.
- Clarify and enforce discipline policies. With student behaviors on the rise, teachers need consistent backing from their administrators when it comes to discipline. To ensure that teachers feel supported in dealing with student behaviors, administrators should establish clear discipline policies, support teachers in enforcing them, and strike a balance between fairness and accountability.
- Work with teachers, not against them. Rather than assuming that teachers are the issue, leaders should partner with them to improve working conditions. Teacher voices must be central to these efforts, as they are the ones navigating these challenges every day. One-size-fits-all mandates are unlikely to succeed; solutions should be responsive to local context and student needs.
- Acknowledge limits. Schools cannot solve every challenge alone. Cross-sector support is necessary to address the broader social and emotional issues affecting students and, in turn, teachers.
Are teachers worse today if they can’t manage student behaviors? Absolutely not. The job is harder, more complex, and less supported than ever before. If we want better classrooms, we must improve the conditions in which they work.
