Written by: Jaclyn Roster, Ed.D
You have likely seen the images on social media and the news. Enthusiastic teachers, behind multiple computer screens, doing everything but standing on their heads to engage students. At night, caffeinated teachers, sitting at their coffee tables well past bedtimes, trying to make it all work. Comments include “pay teachers a million dollars” and “I could never do that.” And they are right. Teaching is a science and an art, and no, not everyone can do it. But the reality is that the pandemic has only begun to shed light on the stresses of the profession, even in the best of times.
Teachers are at a breaking point. A recent survey from the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers’ union, indicated that 28 percent of teachers said they are considering leaving the profession or retiring early due to the coronavirus. But anyone tangentially related to teachers does not need evidence-based research to see this trend.
I coach and mentor teachers on both their instructional practices and their own social and emotional competencies. In other words, I help teachers manage their stress and burnout. And I have great concern for teachers this year. Teaching is a profession that already sees high turnover, leading to an economic and social cost borne mostly by our nation’s children.
There is a large body of research demonstrating that teachers were already struggling with the profession’s changing demands before the pandemic. Impossible to meet standards, budget cuts, active shooter drills, and policymakers who have never stepped foot in a classroom are just a few of the concerns facing teachers. Then add in the pandemic, remote learning, and everything in-between, and teachers feel overwhelmed by the many factors out of their control.
So how can we help teachers navigate not only this strange time but all aspects of their career? My research indicates that new teachers can benefit the most from what the Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning calls self-management support, or “the regulation of emotions and behaviors, such as impulse control, stress management, self-discipline, goal setting, self-motivation, and organizational skills.” In particular, there are three types of direct supports we can offer to teachers RIGHT NOW: (1) help in understanding school priorities, (2) support in maintaining organization and time management during hybrid learning, and (3) general self-care support and perspective shifts.
1. Help in understanding school priorities
I call it the midnight dilemma. It is late, you have a virtual stack of papers to grade, three lessons to differentiate, and a report due to the principal. Which should you choose? Sleep is the right answer, of course! But the demands of teaching during a pandemic do not allow for such an easy choice.
In the best of years, teachers need help with prioritizing tasks, such as understanding which tasks must get done and which can wait. Steven, a middle school teacher, says, “my mentors and administration help me understand what tasks ‘must’ get done, ‘need’ to get done, and ‘can wait.’ Understanding that the job is never complete decreases the anxiety of a seemingly endless to-do list.” More than ever, teachers need clear direction from their administration on expectations during this time.
While strong administration is always essential, teacher collaboration is also a crucial factor in understanding priorities. Without the partnership that in-person learning can lend, such as one-off discussions in the teachers’ lounge or during grade team meetings, teachers can no longer solely rely on each other to determine these priorities. Therefore, I encourage my teachers to speak with their school-based mentor or administration directly about their teacher priorities for this year. Should teachers prioritize writing beautiful lesson plans or grade promptly? At this point in the year, effective administrators know that teachers simply cannot do it all and can provide clear direction.
2. Support in maintaining organization and time management during hybrid learning
The second direct support teachers need is in maintaining organizational and time management support during hybrid learning. Online learning is a brave new world, requiring a shift in planning and organizing for even the most seasoned of teachers. Some teachers must shift between in-person and remote learning on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. Others are fully remote but must juggle 150 students without seeing their faces! And every teacher has learned to shift between multiple online learning platforms, determining which platforms are best for the instructional activity at hand. Helping teachers organize their lessons and providing overall time management support is a concrete step to assist with teacher burnout.
In normal times, I encourage teachers to review several different organizational strategies used by their colleagues and borrow the elements of organization that will work for them. Organization is a personal choice, but teachers can benefit from guidance. Therefore, I encourage teachers to directly ask their colleagues how they are organizing right now. A picture of a highly effective teacher’s planner can go a long way in helping an overwhelmed teacher manage their workload. Ironically, I have found a classic teacher planning book—made of paper– to be most effective for helping my teachers organize their weeks and months this year.
3. General self-care support and perspective shifts
Teacher burnout and retention is a well-treaded topic. Many administrators and districts have been addressing burnout this year, promoting self-care support and counseling services, encouraging extra time off, and providing regular check-ins. Yet districts can only offer so many Zoom yoga classes as a band-aid to teacher morale.
There are no easy answers to managing teacher stress during a pandemic. But if we can help teachers feel more in-control (teachers love control!), perhaps we can alleviate some of this burden.
To provide a greater sense of control, we can ensure hybrid learning expectations are clear, so teachers understand their priorities. We can provide support to teachers on how to organize their hybrid teaching. We can offer more prep and collaboration time within their schedules. In Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz went so far as to issue an executive order requiring schools to give teachers 30 more minutes of prep time in their daily schedules. Thank you, Governor!
Another way of managing stress is to shift one’s perspective. The first vaccines are rolling out as I write this. There is hope. Helping teachers shift their perspective—this will not last forever!—can be crucial to their mental well-being.
Teachers are performing heroic work right now. Let’s support them through this long winter by encouraging self-care and providing them with organizational and prioritizing support.
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Jaclyn Roster, Ed.D is an educational coach, professor, and researcher. You can read more about her at www.jaclynroster.com