"My Support System Is What I've Built": Teacher Emotional Supports and Stressors in Low-Resource Urban Schools

• In Event: Teacher Well-Being

Abstract

In the coming years, schools will be confronted with students’ psychological trauma from the ongoing public health crisis and social unrest. In addition to thinking through how to support students throughout the pandemic, schools must also consider how to systematically support educators’ wellbeing over time. Our qualitative study of early career teachers revealed that teachers are often called on to socially and emotionally support students, but without the adequate built-in supports to do so. Teachers consequently take on an added responsibility of building a support network during a period of their professional development when they may already be overwhelmed. The coping strategies and supports available to teachers can drastically shape their perspectives toward teaching and their capacity to support students.

Authors

• Helen Lee, University of Chicago

• Bridgette Davis, University of Chicago