Teacher Identity, Vulnerability, and Supportive Relationships With Students

• In Event: 61.029 - Educators and Emotional Labor: Coping With the Emotions of Teaching

Abstract

Teaching is a profession that can induce feelings of vulnerability and exhaustion. We interviewed 10 veteran teachers to determine how they protect themselves from the strains of the job. Three themes emerged from the interviews. First, all teachers described a period of being overwhelmed by the needs and demands of their students and of the job. Second, they discussed critical moments where they realized they needed to protect themselves from burning out. Third, reactions to these critical moments varied. Half of the teachers created hard borders with more distance and less emotional investment in their students. The other half described evolutions in their identities from “saving” students to empathizing and supporting students. Implications for teacher development are discussed.

Authors

• Ellen Kruse, Santa Clara University

• Kendra Bean, Santa Clara University

• Tim Urdan, Santa Clara University