“What Helps to Keep You Going?” Identifying and Supporting Resilience in Novice Early Childhood Education Teachers Working in Low-Income Communities

• In Event: Issues in Teacher Retention

Abstract

Work in early childhood education (ECE) requires dedicated teachers. Yet, retention in the ECE workforce is considerably lower than that of K-12 teachers. This paper describes a mixed methods study of 323 highly retained, early career ECE teachers working in low-income communities to better understand what shapes their resilience. Results from the study identified internal resilience factors among participants: responsibility, competition, perseverance and moral purpose, locus of control, self-preservation or self-reliance, and service to others. External resilience factors included: supervisor support, organizational support, co-worker factors, ECE knowledge and affinity, relationships with others, and pivotal moments of decision. These results have implications for training, induction practices, and mentoring structures that support resilience within the ECE teacher workforce.

Author

• Dianne Michelle Hackett, Teach For America, Inc.