In studies on job satisfaction and burnout, teachers often cite “lack of supportive work environment” as a main cause of attrition. I know my colleagues and I have all felt the stress of increased workloads due to resource limitations, the pressure of performance evaluations and lack of autonomy in the classroom. These factors can contribute to an environment antithetical to the art and science of teaching. The good news is researchers have also found that positive relationships with colleagues mitigate negativity, and that these supportive relationships flourish in supportive environments.
What is challenging about these findings is that the nature of the educator relationships depends greatly on the culture of a school. Teachers in the same building or department may have radically different backgrounds, personalities, belief systems, values and ideas about students and education. As educators who value difference, we sometimes mistakenly assume everyone appreciates a marketplace of multiple viewpoints. Many of us have witnessed or experienced the uncomfortable gossip-filled teacher lounges and political power plays, which are two of the most obvious symptoms when differences are not tolerated on a school staff.
In divisive departments where toxic behaviors seem entrenched, the question of how to create change confounds those who desire it. One investigation I read about burnout in the classroom led researchers to conclude that training educators to develop their own social and emotional competencies (SECs) is an absolute necessity. Similar programs promoting mindfulness in the classroom have concluded that teachers must attend to and develop their own social emotional awareness before they can elicit transformative change in their students.
[For more on this story by Allison Ricket, go to https://www.tolerance.org/maga...-supporting-teachers]
Comments (0)