A Close Look at Teachers' Lives

• In Event: 66.058 - Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: 66.058-14 - Lives of Teachers: The Challenges of Teachers Who Leave and Those That Stay

Abstract

This case study explores the work-related well-being of elementary teachers. The sample includes one public school and nine teachers, two males- seven females, from different grade levels and areas and offers a variety of teaching experiences Teaching is an inherently demanding and challenging job, and recent reforms to improve the quality of education have brought fundamental changes to teachers’ lives. Teaching responsibilities have increased and workloads have intensified in response to state and local policy demands. Findings reveal that student growth and teacher support systems promote well-being while testing, accountability, top-down decisions, and student misbehavior threaten well-being.

Authors

• Naime Elcan

• Emel Cevik, Texas A&M University - College Station