CBC News: Teacher Stress is Killing my Profession

Enjoyed this article about teacher stress and the changing world of teaching. It was posted in 2009 but just came up on my facebook feed recently. While I agree with some of the statements, I wonder about the long term impact of this systemic change to our profession.

he reality of every teacher trying to make even a modest go at this profession is a life of almost constant stress, overwork and, at times, emotional exhaustion.

Anyone who enters the teaching profession thinking otherwise is in for a rude awakening. 

So why am I griping? I chose this profession and I enjoy what I do. 

Well, it is because a storm of new and increasingly unrealistic demands, coupled with a noticeable decline in support from many principals and parents, is contributing to a growing incidence of illness among teachers, including mental illness due to work-related stress. 

I should note that teaching has not broken me. But it has broken the sanity and soul of some very motivated teachers I know. 

Burn-out profession? A Saskatchewan study says almost 60 per cent of teachers face job stress. (Associated Press file photo)

"I think that the whole idea of teaching has changed in the last 15 to 20 years," says Emily Noble, past-president of the Canadian Teachers' Federation. 

"People are dealing with more high-need students, with more multicultural issues and with no-fail policies.

"Teachers want to make a difference, but the supports are just not there."

The best are falling

Add to this the largely undocumented group of what I call the walking wounded, those teachers whose energy levels have been sapped so much by all the new administrative demands that they have little left over to give directly to their students.

I have occasionally heard it said that these increasing demands and stresses are a positive development because they will weed out those whose commitment to the profession may be problematic.

But in my experience, it has been the most highly motivated and committed teachers who undergo the most stress and who break down simply because they truly care for their students and, against the odds, try to deliver.

Mediocre teachers, it seems, have less of a problem in detaching their personal well-being from that of their students. And that is not just my view.

"Burnout is more common in the young, highly motivated, energetic, hard-working teacher," says Prof. Martin. "The people who burn out are the people who pour everything into it without balance." 

Read the entire article here 

Novel Study - Parts of a Story pamphlet

I have used so many different graphic organizers for novel studies and exploring elements of a story. I love this cool idea where students can use words and pictures to re-tell the story and parts.

This may be a fun activity for a TTOC to do with a short story you read in class. 


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MindUp Program

I have been in numerous classrooms that practice the MindUp program and have to say, it is AMAZING! I am a huge fan of social emotional learning and it's benefits and find that this program works well in classrooms. I hope to take the training myself this year and implement some of the practices into my classroom.

I know my daughter's teacher (in grade 2) used MindUp and my daughter enjoyed it very much and still practices some of the relaxation and focus techniques on her own at home and school.

MindUP™ aspires to:

• Develop students’ skills in focusing their attention;
• Sharpen students’ awareness of their environment and themselves by paying attention to what they sense and feel;
• Strengthen the positive human qualities students possess, including their capacity to understand the perspectives of others and to be empathic, helpful, and kind;
• Increase students’ optimism and well-being;
• Foster a cohesive, caring learning environment and thereby an optimistic classroom. 

MindUp is a classroom-based social and emotional learning program (SEL) designed to enhance self-awarness, social awareness, attention, self regulation, problem solving, pro-social behaviour (helping, sharing, and cooperating), and positive human qualities, such as happiness, optimism, and kindness. Research has shown that students who participate in SEL programs, like MindUp, enhance their overall learning potential, improve their classroom behaviour, and increase their academic success.
 
MindUp was created to help children understand the ways their minds work and how their thoughts and feelings affect their behaviour. The MindUp curriculum is informed by the latest scientific research in the fields of cognitive neuroscience, social emotional learning, and positive psychology.
Through a series of simple lessons, students learn strategies to calm their minds, focus their attention, and become more aware of themselves, others, and their environment. Each lesson also teaches students about their brain (anatomy and function), and how they can positively influence their own brain development. Along with the classroom lessons, there is a short, twice daily practice of focusing and calming their mind using listening and breathing techniques.

PE Game: Survivor

When I was a student teacher I participated in the teacher Survivor. Once or twice a week during lunch hour the teacher's would partake in crazy activities. I ate dried sardines, through hockey sticks through goals, did a junk food relay, stood on a tin can as eggs flew at me, and numerous other crazy activities the school leadership team developed. I placed 3rd, which I was quite proud of considering I was a student teacher, but it was fun and I love Survivor themes activities.

I found this activity and thought it sounded like an AWESOME PE game/activity for team building, co-operative learning, problem solving, team work, and just plain fun! A lot of prep and supplies required, so not likely something a TTOC would just "do" but worth reading through and using in the future (or even parts)

Name of Activity: Survivor Houghton (or school/class name)

Purpose of Activity: The purpose of the activity is to have students work together to solve challenges while also incorporating fitness activities.
Suggested Grade Level: 9-12

Materials Needed:
Survivor Houghton Handout

The following equipment is needed for this activity:

- 4 tribal flags (wood stick with bandana attached—each team has a different color)
- 16 resource challenge cards (4 water, 4 food, 4 fire, and 4 shelter)
- gym floor tape
- 4 laminated turkey targets
- 4 playground balls (4 inches in diameter)
- 4 large Gatorade jugs (or other large container)
- 4 folding mats
- 20 noodle pieces (about 1½ inches in length)
- 4 laminated fire cards
- 4 unassembled camping tents
- bandanas/blindfolds for all students (each tribe has its own color)
- 4 agility ladders taped on gym floor
- 12 jump ropes (varied lengths)
- 4 sets of 2 small cones with rope spread from one cone to the other

Description of Idea

Divide the students into four teams called tribes. Each team is given a tribal flag with their tribal name on it and each player is given a bandana. The tribes are “stranded” at different locations throughout the “western New York wilderness” (gym) and are given a few essential supplies including: 4 resource challenge cards, 1 raft (folding mat), 1 arrow (playground ball), 5 logs (noodle pieces), 1 unassembled shelter (tent). The tribes have 30 minutes to obtain the resources of water, food, fire, and shelter. These resources are obtained by successfully completing the challenge listed on the resource challenge cards. (Each tribe has a resource challenge card for water, food, fire, and shelter). The resources can be obtained in any order.

At the end of 30 minutes, tribes that have successfully obtained all the resources have earned the right to participate in the final Survivor Houghton team challenge. For the final challenge, tribes must work together to get all tribal members through the obstacle course as quickly as possible. The first tribe to have all of their tribal members successfully through the obstacle course wins and earns the title “Sole Survivor”.
Survivor Houghton HandoutVariations:
NOTE: This idea was created for the high school I teach at in western New York and uses equipment that is available within our PE program. The resource challenge cards can be creatively adapted to fit the location and available equipment of a different school.

Assessment Ideas:
After the activity has been completed, discuss the questions below with the students. Be sure to get responses from members representing all the tribes.

- While completing the Survivor Challenge, what is one way your tribe worked well together?
- While completing the Survivor Challenge, what is one way your tribe could have improved in working together?
- If you could go back as a tribe and re-do one part of the Survivor Challenge, what would it be? How would you do things differently?
Here is the link to the handouts/instructions in PDF format:
http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/Survivor_Houghton.pdf

When I was a stude