Every classroom has a teacher at its core. Not just an instructor or an educator, a teacher holds a place in the child’s heart. A child’s staunchest advocate, a cheerleader, an advisor, or someone as caring as a mother—a teacher plays all the roles in a single day. Teachers are distinguished for their selflessness, frequently prioritizing the needs of the children they are in charge of, over their own, and relentlessly pushing themselves to do more for their responsibilities.
However, the teacher’s desire and hard work to provide the best education possible for their children leave them exhausted and with little time for themselves. Teachers become susceptible to burnout with tiredness, emotional exhaustion, and a lack of personal accomplishment. To avoid these negative elements, a teacher needs to have extra abilities and fortitude.
So, what could be the causes of this burnout and what are the preferred solutions? Let us understand the contributing factors that can support Montessori teachers/ educators during stressful times.
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What are the challenges of a teacher?
Teaching is a challenging profession. Each day, a teacher has to face different and unique challenges. Basically, there are 2 types of challenges a Montessori guide faces.
1. The challenges that can be controlled by the teacher – for example, preparing the environment, formulating lesson plans, managing resources, and so on.
- Teachers often work for long hours beyond the specified timings. This often leads to stress and burnout. Teacher stress increases with a combination of physiological and environmental factors.
2. The other types of challenges are those where the facets of the challenges are outside the control of the teacher: namely, the involvements that children bring to the class. Such challenges are unique and may be a cause of stress.
- Lack of professional sovereignty – teachers in many schools are often evaluated and face random walkthrough judgments. A scenario where you know you are being judged can lead to stress and often gets a negative evaluation.
- Lack of resources – the students often have behavioral challenges and lack of resources does not allow the teachers to support them. The feeling that one lacks control and the resources necessary to do all responsibilities in the workplace repeatedly leads to emotional weariness.
- Children’s tantrums and learning – A child’s behavior, actions, and the disturbance one child could create for another are often unnerving topics a teacher faces on a day-to-day basis. Teachers need to act as a child’s guide and support them when the child is struggling to learn and master a skill. They must ensure that the children are benefited from those practices.
- Learning challenges – Some tasks drain the teachers with energy both mentally and physically. Understanding the child’s interests and what kind of activity entices a child is an overwhelming task.
Indiscipline, time pressures, and political issues among teachers and administrators, parents, or students are other factors that add to the stress of the teachers. In one of our infographics, we have added detailed information about a few tricky situations a teacher could face during the day in the classroom.
Also Check: Why Choose Montessori Education?
How to support Montessori teachers during stressful times?
Even while stress is a normal, even necessary, part of life, knowing how to handle it will result in a happier, more positive state of mind, body, and spirit. Administrators, Management, parents, and students all together need to support teachers during stressful times. Not only have these, but the teachers themselves needed to be aware to handle the stress to stay away from burnout.
1. Administrators and the school community can support the teachers with a variety of approaches that might be of help to lessen anxiety, worry, or stress.
- Open communication: Plan the meetings precisely. Not all meetings need to be lengthy. Though some topics need a long discussion and need planning, some topics can be covered in a brief time. Administrators or management should provide some time for a candid conversation. In this approach, even unanticipated things can be brought up, and teachers will feel heard. Discussion on issues that administrators might not have registered will be possible.
- Preparation time: Enough planning time for the day to manage resources and set the environment should be allotted to the teachers. If needed, supporting staff should be provided to the teachers that can help them to arrange the materials and set up the classrooms for the session.
- Realistic expectations: Workloads should be well planned before assigning to the teachers. Management should set realistic expectations for the teachers. One-on-one meetings and proper assessment of the additional work can help align the expectations and reduce the stress of the teachers.
- Healthy ambiance: Refreshing and natural environment can help de-stress and promote well-being be it social or emotional. The school community can plan to re-decor the classrooms and corridors with green plants and natural elements. Such things not only create a good ambiance but also pass good vibes.
Apart from these, administrators or management people can also support the teachers by providing them with debriefing protective procedures, self-healing methods, challenging games, and brain-storming sessions. Keeping communication open and setting realistic goals can help the teachers de-stress and do not lead to burnout.
2. All humans are social beings and nothing can be as rejuvenating as companionship. Sometimes delegating responsibilities or volunteering other people’s duties can be highly reviving. Parents and students of higher classes can sometimes volunteer the duties of a teacher, help to prepare the environment, take story lessons, or play some games with the children. This will not only enrich the children with different activities but also supports the teacher to get some self-time.
3. Teachers can themselves help to de-stress during tough times as in the end being happy and calm is important.
- Self-care: Eating healthy, taking a good sleep, Yoga, exercising, or walking could help a teacher refresh from the daily stress and keep serene.
- Talk about it: Whenever a teacher faces challenges like behavioral aspects of students or managing the classroom, they should discuss it with colleagues or administrators. Teachers should talk about it and seek support for the same to prevent stress and burnout.
- Adapt to supportable teaching practices: Teachers should not overload themselves in reaching out to unjustified goals or burdening themselves with extra work.
- Mindfulness and meditation are good practices to regulate stress, and emotions, and to strengthen mental health.
- Asking questions to self and getting solutions through talks, the internet, books, and references are good sources to keep at ease when the mental pressure is built due to a lack of resources.
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Final words
Montessori teachers not only educate but also mentor their students. They laid the foundation for shaping goals and helping students achieve their dreams. Stress for teachers is inevitable. As a Montessori community, in-person, and friends, we can support the teachers to keep the stress at bay and strengthen their emotional and mental well-being.
Let us together, come up with ideas, let them pick the best one, conduct joint research, and pose questions that will help them find the answer to their issue.
Together, reach the objective!
References
- Bae, E. (2019). TEACHERS, FEELING STRESSED? . . .. JUST BREATHE: MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON TEACHER STRESS AND BURNOUT. Https://Etd.Ohiolink.Edu/Apexprod/Rws_etd/Send_file/Send?Accession=xavier1560713463538433&disposition=inline.
- How to Support Teachers During Stressful Times. (2022, May 11). https://amshq.org/Blog/2022-05-11-How-to-Support-Teachers-During-Stressful-Times
- Montessori Methods – 10 Ways to Reduce Stress. (n.d.). https://aimmontessoriteachertraining.org/reducing-stress/
