Challenges within the school setting
Teacher stress and burnout have long been linked to student misbehavior and discipline issues. Borg, M. & Riding, R. (1991). In the teaching and learning process, behavior issues continue to be a problem, despite the numerous systems put in place by administrators to reduce behavioral difficulties. These issues frequently overwhelm teachers, and some believe these behavioral challenges are the most challenging component of their job. Students with behavioral issues always demand extra attention, putting a strain on teachers and slowing the rate at which lessons are delivered and completed. Bolton, N. (2017). Teachers spend a lot of time organizing lessons and in some cases are not able to implement them due to classroom disruptions. These are some of the key reasons why some students struggle to achieve mastery because teachers are continuously dealing with behavioral challenges. Furthermore, research shows that teachers devote a significant amount of time to behavior management and that the employment of poor, reactive tactics leads to increased stress levels. Clunies, R. (2008).
Children confront a variety of obstacles that impede their capacity to learn effectively, and as a result, teachers, need to have a thorough understanding of children’s emotional problems. Administrators and teachers need to build effective educational programs and construct classroom conditions that support and promote the learning process of children who struggle with their emotions. Wiggins, A., (2017). At our school, the district sometimes provides training for teachers to help in dealing with these challenges. Training is done during PLCs along with the guidance counselor and discipline coach working on new strategies and new ideas however, sometimes it seems like the behavior only seems to get worst.
As stated in my vision statement as an educator who tries to bring about a positive change I will continue to create a teaching and learning environment that encourages all students to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers, as well as decision-makers, It is of paramount importance that these behavior issues are minimized so that society can be a healthy place for everyone.
Teacher well-being in today’s educational environment
The majority of teacher well-being research has focused on stress and burnout. Organizational and social pressures include administrative burdens, classroom management challenges, and a lack of supervisor and team support. Kokkinos, M. (2007). Living through this trying period in education has served as a timely reminder that teachers’ social and emotional well-being is critical to student achievement. Teachers will not be able to provide good service to the nation’s children if they are anxious and overloaded. Hargreaves, D. (2007) conducted in-depth interviews with 60 teachers and discovered that the most important source of fun and motivation was relationships with students.
Teachers’ well-being has gotten a lot of attention since the significant increase in sickness absence and job quitting among teachers across cultures and countries. Teaching is a difficult job that causes a lot of teachers to feel stress and burnout. Well-being is more than merely avoiding disease at work. Rather, it relates to teachers’ ability to perform well at work in a healthy and productive manner. Teachers’ health and well-being must be prioritized in school culture. Gonser, S. (2021).
The demand of the teaching profession on teachers’ personal time is negatively impacting their social and personal well-being. Due to less time available for social and personal activities their stress level increases. Social activities and spending quality time with family helps to rekindle and reenergize teachers for the professional environment, however, most teachers are unable to do this as the teaching and learning process demand so much of their personal time. Hence their little avenue to relieve their stress results in their physical and mental well-being being deprived.
My impact on positive social change
The M.S. in Education with a specialty in Professional Development (Grades P–12) from Walden University assists educators in becoming highly effective teacher professional developers. Learn how to plan, design, and implement professional development programs that meet the needs of children while also enhancing teachers’ growth and impact on students.
My strategy for affecting positive social change in my students so they can contribute positively to society is to help students develop the skills of critical thinkers and problem solvers.
Critical thinking refers to students’ ability to recognize, analyze, and evaluate knowledge or skills successfully. Students will find and give compelling reasons in support of their responses or thoughts during this process. It is vital that teachers equip children with the ability to think critically. Teachers must provide students with the techniques they need by asking more than surface-level questions in order for them to be critical thinkers. Students should be asked questions that encourage them to learn more about the subject. Teachers should motivate students to make a connection with real-life situations. These enhance the learning experience by making it more memorable and meaningful. Joseph, M. (2019).
Creating opportunities for students to connect what they are learning to a real-life issue and identifying patterns is an excellent approach for children to exercise critical thinking abilities. The application of real-world scenarios will improve the rigor, relevance, and critical thinking skills of students. Students learn to think critically so that they can think for themselves for the rest of their lives. Critical thinkers are also less prone to follow the crowd since they think for themselves.