Emotion regulation in teachers: The “why” and “how”

We used the process model of emotion regulation to gain a deeper understanding of teachers' emotion regulation goals and strategies. Fifty-six teachers reported why and how they regulate emotions while in the classroom. Findings indicated that teachers have instrumental and hedonic emotion regulation goals, are focused on regulating both their own and their students' emotions, and are typically attempting to decrease negative emotions. Findings showed that teachers use a variety of strategies to regulate emotions; however, the response modulation strategy of suppression was the most frequently reported strategy. Implications for teachers, teacher education programs, and future research are discussed.