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Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime TED Talk

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Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime TED Talk

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童年創傷如何影響一生健康

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童年創傷不是一件長大就能解決的事。兒科醫生娜汀‧哈里斯 (Nadine Burke Harris) 解釋虐待、忽視、和父母精神健康不良或有藥物或飲酒問題，都會影響兒童的大腦發展。童年經歷影響終身，在高壓環境下長大的兒童比他人得到心肺疾病的比例高三倍。這是一位慷慨激昂的兒科醫生祈求眾人面對、預防和治療心理創傷的演講。

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THE PROBLEM: IMPACT

Recent neurobiological, epigenetics, and psychological studies have shown that traumatic experiences in childhood can diminish concentration, memory, and the organizational and language abilities children need to succeed in school. For some children, this can lead to problems with academic performance, inappropriate behavior in the classroom, and difficulty forming relationships. Learning about the impacts of trauma can help keep educators from misunderstanding the reasons underlying some children's difficulties with learning, behavior and relationships.

A) Childhood Trauma and Academic Performance

Learning to read, write, take part in a discussion, and solve mathematical problems rests on many underlying foundations-organization, comprehension, memory, the ability to produce work, engagement in learning, and trust. Another prerequisite for achieving classroom competency is the ability to self-regulate attention, emotions, and behavior. Not surprisingly, trauma resulting from overwhelming experiences has the power to disturb a student's development of these foundations for learning. It can undermine the development of language and communication skills, thwart the establishment of a coherent sense of self, compromise the ability to attend to classroom tasks and instructions, interfere with the ability to organize and remember new information, and hinder the grasping of cause-and-effect relationships-all of which are necessary to process information effectively. Trauma can also interfere with the capacity for creative play, which is one of the ways children learn how to cope with the problems of everyday life.
This first video below explores The Impacts of Trauma on Learning Part 1: Academic Performance.
B) Childhood Trauma and Classroom Behavior

For many children who have experienced traumatic events, the school setting can feel like a battleground in which their assumptions of the world as a dangerous place sabotage their ability to remain calm and regulate their behavior in the classroom. Unfortunately, many of these children develop behavioral coping mechanisms in an effort to feel safe and in control, yet these behaviors can frustrate educators and evoke exasperated reprisals, reactions that both strengthen the child's expectations of confrontation and danger and reinforce a negative self-image.

Many of the effects of traumatic experiences on classroom behavior originate from the same problems that create academic difficulties: the inability to process social cues and to convey feelings in an appropriate manner. This behavior can be highly confusing, and children suffering from the behavioral impacts of trauma are often profoundly misunderstood. Whether a child who has experienced traumatic events externalizes (acts out) or internalizes (withdraws, is numb, frozen, or depressed), a child's behavioral response to traumatic events can lead to lost learning time and strained relationships with teachers and peers.
This second video below explores The Impacts of Trauma on Learning Part 2: Classroom Behavior.
C) Childhood Trauma and Relationships

Children's struggles with traumatic stress and their insecure relationships with adults outside of school can adversely affect their relationships with school personnel and with peers. Preoccupied with their physical and psychological safety, children who have experienced traumatic events may be distrustful of adults and/or fellow students and unsure of the security of the school setting in general. They may also suffer delays in the development of age-appropriate social skills. They may not know how to initiate and cultivate healthy interpersonal relationships with their teachers or their peers.
This third video below explores The Impacts of Trauma on Learning Part 3: Relationships.

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The Problem: Impact - Trauma Sensitive Schools

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THE PROBLEM: IMPACT 2. Traumatic experiences can impact learning, behavior and relationships at school. Recent neurobiological, epigenetics, and

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Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Strategy 

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Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Strategy 

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Teachers are stressed-but schools can help.

© istockphoto/George Peters

In news that will surprise no teachers, a new study has found that 93 percent of elementary school teachers experience high levels of stress. But schools can mitigate the harmful effects of stress by providing proper supports, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to teacher well-being.

In the study, researchers from the University of Missouri surveyed 121 elementary school teachers, asking questions such as, "How stressful is your job?" and "How well are you coping with the stress of your job right now?" Teachers reported on their levels of burnout and cynicism and on feelings of accomplishment and self-efficacy-their belief in their ability to be effective teachers.

Researchers then collected student data that included, among other things, test scores and rates of behavioral problems the teachers observed in the classroom, to gain a sense of how students might be affected by the stress their teachers experience.

The researchers rated 7 percent of teachers as "well-adjusted," with low levels of stress, high levels of coping, and low levels of burnout. The rest of the teachers were identified as experiencing high levels of stress: 60 percent of study participants were rated by the researchers as "high coping/low burnout," 30 percent were rated as "moderate coping and burnout," and 3 percent were rated as "low coping/high burnout"-their high stress, coupled with low coping ability and a lack of support, led to high burnout levels.

Emotional Exhaustion

Lead author Keith Herman, a psychology professor, and his University of Missouri colleagues found that "the high stress levels reported by nearly all teachers in this study confirm prior evidence suggesting that teaching is a stressful profession."

Teacher stress is high partly because the demands of the job can lead to emotional exhaustion, which arises as teachers try to manage the emotional needs of their students in addition to their academic needs. Not all students come to school ready to learn, and distracted or disruptive students can quickly drain a teacher's emotional energy.

According to a 2013 report, 40 percent of new teachers don't feel adequately prepared to handle classroom management or discipline issues, and both new and experienced teachers identified classroom management as "the top problem" they struggle with. And when students need high levels of emotional support, teachers are at risk of experiencing vicarious trauma, the so-called "cost of caring" they pay when a student shares his or her traumatic experiences.

Chronic levels of emotional exhaustion can leave teachers feeling more isolated at school and believing that they're less effective in their classrooms than they could be. "When teachers are stressed and not coping well, the relationships they have with students are likely to suffer, leading to negative academic and behavioral outcomes for students," Herman and his colleagues note.

Teachers with high stress and a moderate or low ability to cope with it-33 percent of the study population-reported higher rates of student behavior problems like being disruptive in class or not paying attention than did their colleagues in the well-adjusted group. And the most at-risk group of teachers-the 3 percent who were low coping/high burnout-were also associated with lower student math scores.

So when teacher well-being isn't supported, neither is the well-being of their students-the two are linked.

Burnout Isn't Inevitable, Even in Stressful Conditions

Although most teachers in the study said that their job was demanding, schools can play a vital role in helping teachers deal with stress, the researchers contend. A majority of study participants-60 percent-experienced stress but were able to avoid burnout with proper support from their schools. These teachers experienced better mental and physical health, and their students showed the same level of academic and behavioral outcomes as peers with teachers in the well-adjusted group.

By investing in support services and promoting the emotional well-being of teachers, schools can reduce the risk of burnout and the " invisible problem " of teacher turnover-16 percent of teachers in the U.S. change schools or leave the profession each year.

Three ways schools can help mitigate and even reduce the stress teachers feel:

Provide support services, such as stress management workshops or relaxation training, which help teachers learn coping strategies.

Provide proactive screening, which helps catch early warning signs of burnout. Linking such screenings to events such as Mental Health Awareness Month (May) could increase participation.

Foster a positive school culture, which can help buffer against many of the cultural and political sources of stress. Teachers often shoulder the burden of student success, taking criticism for low test scores that is leveled without regard to how limited their classroom resources are. A nurturing environment at school, built upon positive relationships among students and teachers, can decrease feelings of isolation while promoting teacher well-being.

"We as a society need to consider methods that create nurturing school environments not just for students, but for the adults who work there," Herman says. "This could mean finding ways for administrators, peers, and parents to have positive interactions with teachers, giving teachers the time and training to perform their jobs, and creating social networks of support so that teachers do not feel isolated."

The takeaway: To help students succeed, don't ignore the well-being of teachers. Although stress levels may be high, the right support can help teachers be effective in the classroom.

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Teachers are stressed-but schools can help. © istockphoto/George Peters In news that will surprise no teachers, a new study has found that 93 percent of elementary school teachers experience high levels of stress. But schools can mitigate the harmful effects of stress by providing proper supports, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to teacher well-being.

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Self Care Assessment Adapted from Saakvitne, Pearlman, & Staff of TSI/CAAP (1996). Transforming the pain: A workbook on vicarious traumatization. Norton

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Are you steady at Compassion Satisfaction or teetering on Compassion Fatigue? Let's the take a look at returning to Compassion Resilience.

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In some places, teacher turnover dropped in 2020. But a closer look reveals a pressing need to make the teaching job more rewarding, collaborative, and sustainable.

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from https://olgaphoenix.com/self-care-wheel/

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We all deal with stress. Will your response help or hinder obtaining Compassion Resilience?

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Teachers' Commitment to Remaining in the Classroom?

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Teachers' Commitment to Remaining in the Classroom?

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Gema Zamarro, Andrew Camp, Dillon Fuchsman, and Josh B. McGee

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How the pandemic has changed teachers’ commitment to remaining in the classroom

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A look at educator attitudes throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

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Self-care IS NOT selfish.

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The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory Score your life stress inventory using the downloadable list below or take our Online Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Asessment: Start the Assessment What Does Your Score Mean? 150 points or less | a relatively low amount of

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What is Compassion Resilience? - WISE Initiative for Stigma Elimination

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Our capacity to serve our students and communities are impacted by our personal histories, organizational supports, and the societal context we work in. The toolkit attempts to center trauma and equity informed perspectives that add value in understanding where each individual starts on their path to compassion resilience; this lens also deepens our understanding of what supports can be offered to fuel the energy of a diverse staff that is stretched thin.

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Why Teachers Leave-or Don't: A Look at the Numbers

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Why Teachers Leave-or Don't: A Look at the Numbers

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Deciding to leave any job can be hard, but for teachers, exiting the classroom can be downright heartbreaking.

Teaching is, in its essence, about relationships-understanding students' needs, fostering their passions, figuring out what makes them tick. To give up that work, for many, would be a deep loss.

"It's the students' faces, it's their excitement to learn," said Akilah Williams, a 5th grade teacher in Georgia's Clayton County school district, outside Atlanta. "The students are what keep me here."

And yet about 8 percent of teachers leave the profession every year, federal data have long shown. Younger teachers, and those early in their careers, are among the most likely to leave teaching. And while trends in turnover do vary regionally, special education teachers and science and math teachers tend to be at high risk for turnover.

All of that was true before the coronavirus pandemic began last year. How the fallout from COVID-19-the unparalleled physical, financial, and emotional stressors, and the upending of what work looks like-ultimately affects those statistics on a national scale won't be clear for some time.

"This year has been very difficult for me," said Williams, who recently participated in a filmed series for Roadtrip Nation in which classroom teachers interviewed inspiring educators who've persisted in this field. "I'm the teacher that when students get here, you can give me a high-five, hip bump, a handshake, or a hug. ... It stifled me so to know my students were just sitting at computers."

(Education Week has a joint grant with Roadtrip Nation to pursue reporting on teacher retention.)

To understand more about why teachers consider leaving-or actually do make the jump-and the impact of the pandemic on their decisionmaking, the EdWeek Research Center surveyed about 700 teachers and 300 school leaders online in March 2021. The nationally representative results provide a backbone for this series of stories, which are meant both to illuminate the barriers to keeping great teachers and offer some solutions.

Here's some of what the data tell us:

More teachers are thinking about leaving now than before the pandemic

When asked about the likelihood that they'll leave teaching in the next two years, 54 percent of teachers said they are "somewhat" or "very likely" to do so. That's compared to just 34 percent of teachers who said they would have answered that question with "somewhat" or "very likely" if they'd been asked in the fall of 2019 (before the pandemic began).

That's not too surprising, given that 84 percent of teachers also said teaching is more stressful than it was before coronavirus closures.

It's important to remember, though, that many teachers who say they're considering leaving won't actually do so. Many teachers simply can't afford to lose their pay and benefits; some older teachers will decide they're close enough to a pension to hang on.

"There are so many forces and so much stress and pressure on teachers, many of them do really want to leave," said Tuan Nguyen, an assistant professor in the college of education at Kansas State University, who's studied teacher attrition. But "intentions aren't the same thing as behaviors."

Teachers stay because they love their students

When asked which factors play the biggest role in keeping them in the teaching profession, teachers were most likely to point to "love for students."

Caring for young people is, of course, what draws many to the profession, and more than 2 in 5 teachers said it's a top reason they stay. Retirement benefits and love for subjects taught were the next two most frequently chosen answers.

As one Indiana middle school teacher surveyed wrote: "We are pulled in [so] many ways by outside forces. There are committee meetings, PLC meetings, teacher meetings, IEP meetings, grade level meetings, team meetings, subject area meetings, and the list goes on and on, plus every meeting requires more emails. Teaching students is wonderful. It is all the OTHER that is exhausting."

Pay makes a big impact

The survey asked teachers what their school or district could do that would make a major difference in reducing the likelihood they would leave the K-12 teaching profession in the next two years. The most frequently chosen answer? Increase salaries.

School leaders agreed there, with nearly 7 in 10 saying pay raises would make a major difference in keeping teachers.

And yet some states had to scrap planned salary increases when the pandemic hit.

Those pay hikes could return as economies recover. And some states, like Utah and Georgia, are already giving teachers small hardship bonuses of $1,000 or more.

"In general, we do have evidence that teachers who receive higher salaries are more likely to stay in teaching than teachers with lower salaries," said Nguyen of Kansas State. And while a couple thousand dollars won't usually move the needle on retention, he said, this year things may look different.

"It's not just about the money, but also the recognition that they've had to work so hard this year," he said. "I think that makes a big difference."

Teachers and administrators see things differently

Asking the two groups what keeps teachers in the profession reveals some disparate thinking. Nearly 1 in 3 teachers said retirement benefits are one of the biggest factors in getting them to stay, while just 6 percent of school leaders said the same about teachers. And 35 percent of school leaders said supportive administrators are one of the biggest factors in getting teachers to stay, but just 11 percent of teachers felt the same.

Administrators also seem to underemphasize the impact of reducing administrative burdens such as paperwork, meetings, and hall duty-27 percent of administrators said this is something schools could do to keep teachers, and 43 percent of teachers said the same.

There are countless other variables that affect whether teachers stay or go. Child-care and other family responsibilities can compel teachers, 80 percent of whom are women, to take time off or ultimately leave their careers.

For Black male teachers, who make up just 2 percent of the workforce, isolation and being pigeonholed as disciplinarians can lead them to consider opting out.

Schools and districts want to keep good teachers, and in this special report we'll also explore some of the creative ways they're trying to do just that. Some districts are giving teachers more flexibility in how and where they do their jobs, including offering continued options for virtual teaching and meetings. Others are looking to improve their mentorship programs for new teachers. And some schools are making teachers' mental health a priority by creating support groups and reducing barriers to getting insurance-covered counseling services.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the report is that even while many teachers feel underappreciated and worn out, there are some concrete steps administrators can take to increase the odds they'll stay-but it all starts with listening.

"I think sometimes administrators might think teachers are just being dramatic," said Jennifer Atkins, a 7th grade English/language arts teacher in Victoria, Texas, who has been teaching remote and in-person students concurrently since last summer. "They need to take what we say and not assume we're overexaggerating. It really is difficult this year."

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Why Teachers Leave-or Don't: A Look at the Numbers

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New EdWeek survey results reveal why teachers consider leaving the profession, and how the pandemic has changed their decisionmaking.

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daniilvolkov - stock.adobe.com

By

Quiet quitting is the latest workplace buzzword. Although it sounds like it refers to someone resigning from their position, it describes a rebellion against the hustle culture of going above and beyond what a job requires.

The COVID-19 pandemic not only disrupted everyone's lives with restrictions and a lockdown on public gatherings; it also made some people rethink their career choices. During what's known as the Great Resignation, 71.6 million people left their jobs from April 2021 through April 2022, which averages 3.98 million people quitting monthly, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In June 2022, the number of people quitting reached 4.2 million.

Not only are people resigning from positions, they also want to limit their workloads. Enter quiet quitting -- the new way of doing a job's bare minimum.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting doesn't mean an employee has left their job, but rather has limited their tasks to those strictly within their job description to avoid working longer hours. They want to do the bare minimum to get the job done and set clear boundaries to improve work-life balance. These employees are still fulfilling their job duties but not subscribing to 'work is life' culture to guide their career and stand out to their superiors. They stick to what is in their job description and when they go home, they leave work behind them and focus on non-work duties and activities.

However, quiet quitting could be a sign that an employee is not happy in their position or is experiencing burnout. Quiet quitting is a way the employee deals with burnout to help alleviate stress. It may also mean they are ready to change positions or may be currently looking for another job.

During the Great Resignation, employees started thinking about their careers, salaries and how they are treated at work. Lack of advancement opportunities, low pay and feeling disrespected were the top reasons Americans quit their jobs in 2021, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Why are employees quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting may be a popular term, but this practice isn't new. Workers have quietly quit their jobs for years to look for something new, whether it was because of poor pay, unmanageable workload, burnout or lack of growth opportunities.

Seven out of 10 employees experienced burnout in the last year, according to Asana's 2022 Anatomy of Work report. The report findings also showed that employees suffering from burnout are less engaged, make more mistakes, leave the company and are at a higher risk for low morale.

The pandemic brought quiet quitting into the spotlight as it flipped work culture upside down. More people had time to think about and question their careers and seeking more work-life balance, according to LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends 2022 report. Now, people are taking to social media to promote their discontent. A TikTok clip described that work does not have to be life, and people should start to reconsider their work-life needs.

A 2021 survey from Gallup found that only 36% of people reported being engaged with their job. Some people stay in their jobs and look for a different one while collecting a steady paycheck and keeping health insurance or other benefits, according to a survey by LinkedIn.

Working from home has also changed the dynamics of the workplace because employees and managers are communicating in different ways through online meetings on platforms such as Zoom or Teams. These interactions may feel more formal than the chat sessions that happen in an office because they need to be scheduled instead being impromptu. Limited meetings can cause a disconnect between employees and management. Regular support and praise that make employees feel valued and connected can get lost.

Wage growth may also be a large factor in why people don't want to put everything into their careers. In July 2022, the rate of inflation hit 8-9%, and the average raise was 3.4%. People are actually earning less money -- making them wonder why they should work so hard.

Signs of quiet quitting work

Signs of quiet quitting can take on various forms, depending on the employee's reasons for wanting to pull back on work. If an employee is truly unhappy, the signs may be much more noticeable than someone with the simple goal of wanting a better work-life balance.

Some signs of quiet quitting include the following:

not attending meetings;

arriving late or leaving early;

reduction in productivity;

less contribution to team projects;

not participating in planning or meetings; and

lack of passion or enthusiasm.

Help employees manage stress at the workplace to prevent burnout and quiet quitting.

How can businesses help employees?

The biggest way to prevent disengagement is to improve the employee experience. Talk to employees, gather their feedback and discuss what can be done to make them feel appreciated. It may be as simple as regular words of encouragement.

Next, make sure workloads are realistic and that there are appropriate boundaries to maintain a work-life balance. It's important to check in with employees to make sure these boundaries are clear and help establish an open and honest relationship.

Help employees manage stress and be sure to put mental health as a top priority. Businesses should encourage employees to look after their well-being through digital wellness awareness or regular check-ins that aren't as formal. Businesses need to set work boundaries and respect those boundaries to create a positive work culture.

Talk to the employee about career paths and find ways to help them reach their ultimate goals with clear, actionable tasks.

There will be no change in quiet quitting if companies don't help employees feel valued and learn how to manage realistic expectations.
Learn more about retaining cyber talent during the Great Resignation.

Quiet firing

Just like quiet quitting, quieting firing is something that has been going on for years and addresses the other side of the employer-employee relationship. Quiet firing refers to managers making a job miserable or treating an employee badly. This way the person quits instead of being fired. Examples of how an employer may treat an employee during quiet firing include:

no raises or small raises;

limited time off;

increase in workload but no increase in pay;

demand for employee to work after hours;

reduced hours;

micromanaging;

not involving or leaving the employee out of the loop;

failure to meet with the employee;

lack of respect; and

low pay.

The manager may also want to get rid of an employee they don't care for, so they may give the employee the worst tasks and criticize everything they do, including overreacting to minor mistakes.

Quiet firing may be a response to not wanting to fire an employee because of the legalities and possible lawsuits over discrimination. Firing requires documentation leading up to the termination, so some managers take this approach to have the person leave on their own.

Next Steps
Ghost jobs explained: Everything you need to know

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Quiet quitting explained: Everything you need to know

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daniilvolkov - stock.adobe.com By Quiet quitting is the latest workplace buzzword. Although it sounds like it refers to someone resigning from their position, it describes a rebellion against the hustle culture of going above and beyond what a job requires.

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Don’t kill yourself for a job that would replace you in a week if you dropped dead. Take good care of yourself.

-Jet Li

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Education Reaching a Crisis of Epic Proportions

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Education Reaching a Crisis of Epic Proportions

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We're at a major tipping point in education. According to a recent survey, 48% of teachers admitted that they had considered quitting within the last 30 days. Of that number, 34% said they were thinking about leaving the profession entirely.

Understaffing has plagued schools for years, but it's now reaching epic proportions. At a conference last month, I sat around the table with four superintendents from various parts of the country and asked them, "What percent of teachers quitting would create a cataclysmic drop in your organization's ability to educate young people?" The answers were all shockingly low-with one superintendent answering, "One. One teacher quitting would hurt us in a big way."

Teachers and administrators alike are stressed, overworked and at the end of their rope. After the tremendous pressures of the past two years, they have nothing more to give. They are already giving everything-time, energy, mental wellbeing, and heart. They're beyond tired. They're exhausted. Conditions in the education field have always trended toward demanding, but today they're a recipe for burnout-which teachers experience almost twice as much as other government employees.

At the same time, teachers are very hard to replace. The specialization and requirements inherent to the field of education make it extremely difficult to expand the talent pool, as other fields are often able to do.

It's not sustainable. And as a nation, we're about to feel it.

The vicious cycle

In order to reach and teach students effectively, teachers must forge a human connection with them. Today's younger generations simply will not move forward in their education and career journey without that connection. This is a non-negotiable; it's just who they are.

The vast majority of teachers truly want to forge that meaningful connection with students. In fact, for many it was the driving force behind their decision to enter the profession. But, understaffed and overworked as they are, many simply have no time to show students that they see, hear, and care about them. Survival mode-where many teachers have lived for the past two years-doesn't allow much room for relationship building.

This creates a vicious cycle. Students aren't performing, so more burdens are placed on teachers to help students hit the mark, thus decreasing teachers' time and bandwidth to forge a human connection with students that is the basis for all learning. Teachers' legs are cut out from under them, yet they're still expected to carry their students across the finish line. It's a gridlock.

The fallout

What's the fallout of all this burnout and lack of connection? We'll see significant drops in three vital areas:

A drop in young people entering the profession. Teachers and students spend hours every day together-and unfortunately, stress isn't easy to hide. Even teachers that don't actually mention their stress to the class manifest it in a thousand small ways that young people can observe.

The elevated and prolonged levels of teacher stress are warning the next generation not to become teachers. Who wants that kind of life, for that kind of money? Obviously, fewer people entering education will only exacerbate the teacher and substitute shortage for the long term.

The skills gap is going to hit the education field hard. There just won't be enough teachers to go around.

A drop in education quality. As current educators flee the profession and the next generation avoids entering it, we may see class sizes skyrocket-further straining the teachers that remain. Without a healthy student-teacher ratio, the quality of instruction, the individual time spent with each student, and any vestige of a human connection will inevitably drop.

The quality of education will also drop if states, desperate to staff their schools, lower the bar for teacher requirements. Such a move could potentially bring into the classroom "teachers" or substitutes who lack the necessary training and skills to teach effectively. A lower-quality educational experience will hurt not just the students, but soon the workforce and economy in significant ways.

A drop in graduation rates. How long before students, unengaged in school and with no human connection there, realize that there are ways they can succeed without that diploma? The gig economy has a place for them. There's always bitcoin. And no one will question their graduation status if they start their own business.

Skills, rather than diplomas and degrees, are coming to the forefront in the hiring process. Amid our record talent shortage, employers are frantic for workers and are trying to entice them by any and all means: higher wages, sign-on bonuses, flexible work arrangements and more. How long before they relax their requirements to hire workers with the ability to do the job, even if they don't have a high school diploma?

This highly entrepreneurial generation is savvy enough to realize they can start making a living now-and worry about getting their GED later. If they don't feel that human connection at school, they're checking out, and not just mentally. They're not going to stay on a sinking ship.

What to do right now

There's no magic bullet to solve this crisis. There are, however, several things that we can start doing right now to mitigate the worst of it.

Take stuff off teachers' plates. What happens if teachers don't do all the busy work they're supposed to do? What really happens? Will it change anything in the classroom experience? In our current climate, it's highly unlikely they'll be fired for not checking all the boxes. So what if we take the busy work away and free teachers to focus solely on the mission-critical tasks. The number-one question that administrators need to be asking themselves is, how can we lighten the load for teachers-effective immediately? What can we take off their plate to give them more time to focus on the all-important task of connecting with students?

Stop preaching self-care. Bubble baths and wine aren't going to cut it. We're beyond self-care. Teachers don't have time for it, and at this point, it just becomes another thing on an already overwhelming to-do list. Teachers need care from others, not just from themselves.

Don't expect teachers to "catch students up." The Covid learning slide is a real and serious problem. But somehow, there has been an expectation that returning to in-person learning would magically solve all of it and bring students right back to their appropriate mastery levels. This puts incredible, even impossible pressure on teachers who are already overburdened with ever-changing policies and demands. Instead, as a nation we need to be realistic about where students are really at-and meet them there. That's the only way we're going to move them forward.

Start rebuilding trust. One key thing to remember is that everything that students need in the way of a human connection, teachers also need. Many times, there is no human connection between administrators and instructors. We need to uncover where trust has been compromised and commit to rebuilding it.

Equip teachers for their real work. Teachers must forge a human connection with students before students will receive what's being taught. This is the real work of education: to awaken the mind and unleash the potential of the student. Connecting on a real level with these young people is the only way to educate them effectively. Without that connection, teaching just becomes white noise. We must give teachers not just more time, but also fresh ideas and tools to connect, engage, and answer why for students.

Raise morale, not just salary. More money is important, but it's not everything. This is actually good news for administrators working within the bounds of ever-tightening budgets. People want to work in an organization where the culture is healthy.

No going back

The education crisis isn't a passing problem. At the beginning of the pandemic, most of us assumed that after a short period of upheaval, we'd return to business as usual, like nothing had ever happened. But it's clear today that the genie's out of the bottle. There's no going back.

Leaders in education must heed the warning signs and pivot now to avert the worst of this crisis. Our teachers need us. Let's be there for them.

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Why Education Is About To Reach A Crisis Of Epic Proportions

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We're at a major tipping point in education. According to a recent survey, 48% of teachers admitted that they had considered quitting within the last 30 days. Of that number, 34% said they were thinking about leaving the profession entirely. Understaffing has plagued schools for years, but it's now reaching epic proportions.

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How 'quiet quitting' became the next phase of the Great Resignation

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Quiet quitting, an anti-hustle culture trend, is growing more popular, especially among Gen Zers, with some experts seeing a link to the Great Resignation.

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The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) is proud to bring you our 22-23 Illinois Educator Shortage Study and associated materials.
Click here to view the 2022-2023 Educator Shortage Report
For several years, we have partnered with Goshen Education Consulting and higher education experts to survey schools across the state about the shortage of educators and to report our findings. This year, we have enhanced and expanded our report.

We have worked with Goshen to build this exciting online dashboard allowing users to dig deep into our Fall 2022 survey results. Please watch this video for a quick explanation of how to use the dashboard.

Access our Media Materials supporting the January 28, 2023 release of the report: news release, fact sheets, and social media content.
Our recent Educator Shortage reports:
Webinar s
Related Academic Research from Fall 2022
Legislation

The last two years ISBE has invested $3.5M in pathways to create high school pathways. (2020 and 2021) We encourage continued investments here.

Omnibus Education Act (HB 2170), which includes articles designed to help with the shortage including:

Article 90. Establishes the Early Childhood Workforce Act with goal to increase number of early childhood professionals.

Article 120. Expanded eligibility for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) to candidates with an Education & Training College & Career Ready Endorsement on their high school diploma who are not yet officially enrolled in preparation which often comprises only the last two years of college. Prioritized funding for teacher candidates who most need financial support. Pending an investment of at least $4.2M in the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship, the annual candidate award size increases from $5k to $7k and a set aside for bilingual candidates of color is created.

Article 115. Aligns state requirements for admission for entrance into alternative and traditional teacher preparation programs.

Article 130. Makes education an IAI major so 4-year universities must accept education courses for transfer education students who begin at the community college.

Article 155. Prioritizes eligibility and stipends for NBCT Candidate Cohort Facilitators and Trainers to those who work with rural and diverse candidates.

Through collaboration with ISBE Office of District and School Leadership, we were able to secure $1.8 million in funding through the state's budget from the Illinois General Assembly to support the recruitment of diverse school leaders and leaders in hard to staff schools.

The state's New Teacher Induction and Mentoring legislation was updated and funded at $6.5M in ESSERs funded and Principal Mentoring legislation was updated and funded at $1.2M in ESSERs funding.

ISBE has released more data about our school staff to enable local district leaders and others to address staffing shortages including the shortage of educators of color. For the first year, the ISBE district and school report card includes district leader diversity.

Funding for Golden Apple:

State funds: $6.5M for Golden Apple Scholars, $750K for Golden Apple Accelerators

Federal funds: $3.5M for Golden Apple Fellows; $4.25M for Golden Apple Accelerators. The Golden Apple Accelerator program helps career changers access the profession statewide and be prepared day one in the classroom.

More information about outcomes from each of our state's teacher preparation programs was released for the first time in 2020 and will be released annually as part of ISBE's Illinois Educator Preparation Profiles. See the reports here.

ISBE piloting the Diverse and Learner Ready Teacher Initiative where educator preparation programs (EPPs) opt in to put in place activities that will increase the enrollment and completion of students of color. All EPPs will be required to participate in this program within the next 12 months.

News Articles
If you have any questions or would like more information, contact IARSS Educator Shortage Committee Chair John Meixner at jmeixner@roe26.net, or Goshen Education Consulting's Tom Withee at tom@gosheneducationconsulting.com.

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The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) is proud to bring you our 22-23 Illinois Educator Shortage Study and associated materials. Click here to view the 2022-2023 Educator Shortage Report For several years, we have partnered with Goshen Education Consulting and higher education experts to survey schools across the state about the shortage of educators and to report our findings.