COVID-19 and the Early Childhood Workforce: Analysis of Risk, Wellbeing, Resilience, and Modified Teaching Modalities

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

During the early childhood years, children develop the skills necessary to support a productive and happy life. The early childhood education (ECE) workforce plays a key role in promoting the development of these skills by their interactions with the young children during these formative years. However, ECE teachers experience significant disparities in mental health and wellbeing outcomes, including emotional exhaustion, stress, and depression, which often translates to low job satisfaction and high burnout rates. They also often experience poor physical well-being which may be attributed to their suboptimal working conditions. Challenges due to COVID-19 have multiplied the demands faced by this population as providers are often deemed essential workers without adequate resources, policies, and pay. Additionally, these demands appear to vary by teaching modality. However, recent findings suggest that personal and external resources may mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on job satisfaction and burnout of the ECE workforce. For example, personal resources, such as mindfulness and self-regulation strategies, as well as external job-related resources, such as respect and safety climate of workspaces, may be translating to higher rates of job satisfaction and non-significant changes in burnout rates compared to pre-pandemic data. Additionally, online professional development trainings may be an effective avenue for fostering online learning and further supporting this critical segment of the workforce. Collectively, findings from this symposium suggest that now, more than ever, increasing supports for the ECE workforce is critical to promote high quality care which will translate to healthy childhood development outcomes.

Sub Unit

• Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Chair

• Charlotte Farewell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Individual Presentations

• Challenges related to the Work and Well-Being of Early Childhood Teachers by Teaching Modality During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Presenting Author: Kyong-Ah Kwon, University of Oklahoma; Non-Presenting Author: Timothy Ford, University of Oklahoma; Non-Presenting Author: Jessica Tsortsoros, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; Non-Presenting Author: Ken Randall, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

• The Impact of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Teacher Burnout - Presenting Author: Jolene Johnson, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC); Non-Presenting Author: Amy Encinger, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)

• Job Demands and Resources experienced by the Early Childhood Education Workforce - Presenting Author: Charlotte Farewell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Non-Presenting Author: Jini Puma, University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus; Non-Presenting Author: Jennie V Quinlan, University of Colorado Denver

• Teaching in Online Schools: a Free and Effective Professional Development by Escribo - Presenting Author: Americo N. Amorim, Escribo Innovation for Learning; Non-Presenting Author: Lieny Jeon, University of Virginia - Charlottesville; Non-Presenting Author: Yolanda Abel, Johns Hopkins University; Non-Presenting Author: Monique Soares, Escribo Inovação para o Aprendizado; Non-Presenting Author: Lydia Cerqueira, Escribo Inovação para o Aprendizado; Non-Presenting Author: Danilo Aguiar, Escribo Inovação para o Aprendizado; Non-Presenting Author: Alena Nobre, Universidade de Pernambuco