Here’s What Teachers Say They Need Most To Manage Stress, Mental Health
Amidst high levels of stress and burnout among teachers, along with increasing job pressures, educators are emphasizing the importance of having more time in order to make teaching a sustainable profession. Anna Aguilar, an elementary teacher in the Twin Rivers Unified school district in Sacramento, California, stated that what teachers need is the "gift of time." She added that they don’t necessarily need more professional development or to be told what to do because they already have a lot on their plates. The problem lies in constantly adding more responsibilities without considering the time required to fulfill them.
In a roundtable discussion at the National Education Association’s representative assembly in early July, Aguilar, along with four other educators, expressed that school districts often seem to overlook their concerns. Many teachers believe that teaching has become more challenging since the pandemic due to increased academic needs of students, greater behavioral challenges, and ongoing staffing shortages. Robert Gould, the president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, mentioned that educators are constantly being asked for more and no tasks are being taken off their plates.
According to a recent study conducted by RAND Corp., teachers are nearly twice as likely as other working adults to struggle with job-related stress and experience burnout. Prolonged and frequent stress elevates the risk of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Despite these findings, a nationally representative survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center revealed that mental health support for teachers is limited in school districts. More than half of respondents reported a decline in the mental health and wellness of teachers throughout the 2022-23 school year. Some teachers are even leaving the profession due to the overwhelming stress, while others continue to push through, which is detrimental to both their mental health and that of their students.
Donna Christy, the president of the Prince George’s County Educators Association in Maryland and a school psychologist, emphasized the negative effects of burnout on educators. She explained that when teachers are burnt out, they bring a negative attitude and energy to work, which affects the students’ well-being and behavior. Christy described this cycle as a "vicious, horrible climate" within schools where everyone’s dysregulation fuels one another, leading to frequent eruptions.
According to the educators, what would greatly improve employee mental health is having sufficient time and space to fulfill their roles effectively. They want to prioritize teaching and spend less time on administrative tasks and paperwork. Christy suggested conducting an audit of the educator workload to determine what tasks are necessary versus what could be eliminated. For instance, instead of requiring teachers to call every time a student is absent, districts could use a robocall system. Similarly, pulling reports on students who are at risk of failing could be handled by the central office, rather than burdening teachers with that responsibility. The focus should be on allowing teachers to teach, while ensuring that those outside of the classroom provide support that enhances the learning environment.
Nicolle Reyes, an education support professional based in Harrisburg, Pa., expressed her desire for every classroom to have a designated paraprofessional. She often enters classrooms to assist students with behavioral challenges. However, she has discovered that her presence not only supports the students but also helps the entire classroom run more smoothly and eases the stress on the teacher. Reyes mentioned that the teacher continually expressed gratitude for her presence and would assign her a group of students to work with, allowing them to tackle the tasks together.
While a dozen states allow students to take a day off from school for mental health reasons, this practice is less common for teachers. In a survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center, approximately half of the teachers stated that if their school or district permitted or encouraged mental health days, it would positively contribute to their well-being. However, the educators at the roundtable were not convinced, primarily because they believe that taking time off won’t address the underlying issue. They feel that the focus should be on fixing the job itself to reduce its stress levels instead of relying on coping mechanisms.
In many school districts, sick days can be utilized for mental health purposes as well. However, teachers often feel reluctant to take a day off due to the lack of substitutes and their desire to be there for their students. Aguilar, an elementary teacher from California who works with children with disabilities, also hesitates to take time off because she values consistency for her students. She believes that having a substitute can be stressful for them and for her as a teacher to meticulously plan and explain every aspect of the day’s activities. Aguilar did mention that her union successfully negotiated bereavement time for teachers who experience pregnancy loss, which reflects a growing trend in some districts to support educators in such situations. She emphasizes that adults should prioritize their mental health because their well-being directly impacts their ability to help children.
Removing barriers to mental health support is crucial, especially in small towns where teachers may fear that word will spread if they take a mental health day or seek therapy. Spangler, a teacher from West Virginia, also highlights a generational divide. Younger teachers are more open about their mental health issues and are proactive in seeking support, whereas veteran teachers often adopt a mindset of pushing through despite the challenges.
Overall, it is essential for schools and districts to prioritize educator mental health and provide adequate support. By doing so, they can create a more conducive environment for both teachers and students.
Your goal is to paraphrase the entire passage, employing improved vocabulary and ensuring originality using natural language. The resulting text should be written in English. The given text that requires rewriting is as follows:
"Machine learning is a field of study that utilizes computer algorithms and statistical models to extract knowledge from patterns in data. It is a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that enables machines to learn from experience without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning algorithms automatically adjust their performance as they gather more data, allowing computers to improve their accuracy and make predictions or decisions based on patterns and insights obtained from past occurrences or training data. Various algorithms such as decision trees, random forests, neural networks, and support vector machines are utilized in machine learning. These algorithms are often used to perform tasks such as image recognition, natural language processing, and recommendation systems. Machine learning has found applications in numerous industries including healthcare, finance, retail, and transportation, revolutionizing the way we solve complex problems and make informed decisions."
Note: The rewritten text should have the same core meaning and information as the original text, while utilizing alternate vocabulary and structure to ensure uniqueness.
