The challenge-hindrance stress framework has received little attention in teacher professional development. This study explored challenge-hindrance stress and its relationship to teachers' work passion and professionalism in the Chinese education improvement context. A sample of 917 middle school teachers was investigated, and structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that challenge stress was positively related to work passion and teacher professionalism, while hindrance stress was negatively with teacher work passion and teacher professionalism. Meanwhile, teacher work passion mediated the relationship between challenge-hindrance stress and teacher professionalism. This study reconsiders the categorization of teacher stress and sheds light on stress management to enhance teacher professionalism in educational settings.