Teacher Burnout Stress

Extend school year and day

Maurice Smith, Contributor

Recently, I highlighted a number of education-reform programmes that proved successful in their bid to significantly improve student outcomes in school systems across the globe. One such initiative for which I am an unapologetic advocate is the extension of the school year and day.

The idea of a summer vacation originated to accommodate children who needed to help their families with agrarian labour, which was most intense during the planting and harvesting seasons - spring and fall. Schools in rural areas were typically only open during the winter and summer. Attendance rates were especially low in summer with heat, health issues and mental exhaustion the major deterrents.

The post-industrial world has different needs than those of the agrarian or industrial eras. The global marketplace now depends on the ability of countries to harness their human capital. The fundamental mission of education, therefore, has to change from simply preparing citizens to work at one job to equipping them with skills that can transcend career paths. The ability to think critically and adapt are key components to being successful in the 21st century and beyond.

Quality transformation

Our people will succeed only when we improve the quality of schooling and change the way we think about education. This requires undoing many constrictions, one of which is the length of the school year and day.

Much research has been conducted on the role of time in schools and its effect on student learning. There are four different types of school time: allocated school, allocated class, instructional, and academic learning time. Allocated school time consists of the six or six and a half hours students spend at school per day. Allocated classtime refers to the duration of each session or period, while instructional time is that which is devoted to teaching. Academic learning time is the actual time students spend actively engaging with the concept(s) being delivered.

One needs to note that a large proportion of learning time is spent on administrative procedures, including managing behaviour. Landmark studies done in 2007 found that recalibrating the school year and day could yield additional time for core subjects, enrichment and teacher collaboration.

In 2010, middle and secondary schools in Massachusetts, Houston and Washington, DC, that had extended their year and day experienced growth of 20 per cent in math, 10 per cent in science, and eight per cent in English language scores.

Teachers Tips and Resources: Avoid Teacher Burnout

What veteran teachers know, and new teachers will soon come upon, is that teaching is an exhaustive career. It is not just time in the classroom, but outside. And in between classes. Your teaching day is busy from sun up until sundown, and even later. You will have a short career if you do not do things to relax and make things easier. Here are some tips to avoid teacher burnout. Teachers need sleep. A sure way to teacher stress and burnout is by not sleeping enough. You will have to get up early, no way around that. But you can set the time you go to sleep at night. You will have to gauge it yourself. What time do you get sleepy and struggle to stay awake? That's the time you need to be in bed by. Do you drag when getting up? This is a sure sign that you are not sleeping enough. Teachers not getting enough sleep makes the day drag. And you are not alert enough to really be effective. Not enough sleep can lower your immunity as well. Bottom line is, get PLENTY of sleep! Teachers need to get a handle on work to do at home. The less work you do at home, the better. That means you must come up with assignments that are not onerous and time consuming to grade. With grading also comes recording. The best place to do this is at school. Try to grade and record during breaks, and immediately after school in your classroom. You don't have to assign graded assignments on a daily basis. Give yourself a couple of grade-free days a week. This includes homework. Do not assign homework just because. Try and not do any heavy grading over the weekend. Read some tips on assigning homework here. Every teaching day is a new day. Start off with a positive attitude. The failures and problems of yesterday are gone. Focus on today, not the past. This means having a positive attitude in your classroom daily. If you think teaching is drudgery, then you are probably in the wrong profession. Get help from other teachers. When you go home, leave the problems of teaching at school.

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Teacher burnout in the public schools, structural causes and consequences for children

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