early childhood education Continued from page 29
own self-care. These are the teachers who have learned how to manage their work and home responsibilities and still allow time for solitude, creative and spiritual activities as well as personal hobbies and interests.
Support
Music teachers are often isolated from other teachers in the building and in the district. Because of this isolation, teach- ers sense a lack of support or a sense of community. Teachers who have cultivated caring relationships and have support from colleagues and administration experience greater job satisfaction. Through colle- gial support, friendship, communication, as well as the opportunity to exchange ideas, successes and frustrations, isolation becomes less problematic. Many research- ers suggest that teachers talk through their frustrations with one another to increase their self-understanding and free themselves from emotional challenges. The support can be found from work col- leagues as well as custodial and kitchen staff. Ideally, school administration should encourage a strong support system, team atmosphere and conflict management strategies to minimize stressful working conditions and isolation. Many informal events can support team atmosphere: coffee klatches, social nights, weekend retreats, field trips, conferences, etc. A variety of formal and informal events of getting together are vital. Volunteer to observe your colleagues and ask them to observe you, talk about teaching, learning and students; ask for feedback and sugges- tions, discuss frustrations and victories, and share funny accidents and sad mo- ments. Team teaching and collaboration can help teachers share the responsibilities and support each other in planning, pre- paring, teaching and assessing. Teachers who work together can enjoy continuous professional relationships, thus increasing the feeling of job satisfaction.
Another discouragement for teachers is the lack of time for personal reflection.
We are so busy with the immediacy of the demands that we do not have the time to take a step back and be reflective, either by ourselves or with other people. How do we build in time in our schedule for that purpose? What can we do if there is no time available during the school day, and all our evenings and weekends are tied up with rehearsals, planning, grad- ing etc.? School and district leaders need to develop policies aimed at retaining teachers by providing space for personal growth and reflection. Recognition of the “soul” as well as the role of the teacher is an essential aspect of supporting teacher renewal.
Supportive relationships with adminis- tration and colleagues are the keys for teacher sustainability. Making time for friends, family, support groups or “inter- est” groups, such as an opera community or yoga group, provides ways to reduce stress and maintain balance. Finding the time to engage in solitary activities, such as journaling, meditation, music making, composing, gardening, painting, hiking or prayer can be helpful in managing the bal- ance. Having enjoyable outlets outside of the school, whether alone or with others, can provide ways for teachers to create “space” in the fire.
As professionals, the majority of teachers have been found to enter the field based on either a love of the subject matter, love of children, or a desire to make a difference. Whether it is the passion for students, pas- sion for the subject, or passion for having a positive impact on society at large, for most individuals, teaching is a matter of heart. Parker Palmer wrote in his famous book Courage to Teach (1998), “In our rush to reform education, we have for- gotten a simple truth: reform will never be achieved by renewing appropriations, restructuring schools, rewriting curricula and revising texts if we continue to de- mean and dishearten the human resource called the teacher on who so much de- pends. Teachers must be better compen- sated, freed from bureaucratic harassment, given a role in academic governance, and provided with the best possible methods
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and materials. But none of that will trans- form education if we fail to cherish – and challenge – the human heart that is the source of good teaching.” (p. 3)
References:
Freudenberger, H. J. (1974). “Staff Bumout.” Journal of Social Issues. 30(1). 159-165.
Friesen, D., Prokop, C. M., & Sarros, J. C. (1988). “Why Teachers Bum Out.” Educational Research Quarterly. 12(3). 9-19.
McGrath, M. Z. (1995). Teachers Today – A Guide to Surviving Creatively. Thousand Oaks,California: Corwin Press, Inc.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (1997). The Truth About Bumout. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.
National Center for Educational Statistics. (2007) “Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2004-05 Teacher Follow-Up Survey.” Retrieved February 15, 2014 from http://nces.
ed.gov/pubs2007/2007307.pdf.
LeCompte, M. D., & Dworkin, A. G. (1997). Giving Up On Schools: Student Dropouts and Teacher Burnouts. Newbury Park, CA: Corwin Press.
Palmer, P. (1998). The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Palmer, P. (2002). Foreword: “Listening to Teachers.” In S. M. Intrator (Ed.), The Stories of the Courage to Teach: Honoring the Teacher’s Heart. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Steffy, B. E. (1989). Career Stages of Classroom Teachers. Lancaster, PA: Technomic Publishing.
Alena Holmes is assistant professor and coor- dinator of music education in the Department of Music at UW-Whitewater. Email:
holmesa@uww.edu
April 2014
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