Reconceptualizing Teachers as First Responders: Expanding Our Understanding of Teacher Work

• In Event: 56.080 - Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: 56.080-10 - Morale and Well-Being: Exploring the Emotional Labor of Teachers

Abstract

When studying the nature of work and the stress teachers experience, researchers often focus on similar constructs: interactions with administration, colleagues, students and other stakeholders; feelings of efficacy; workload; and autonomy to name a few (Brunsting et al, 2014; Fernet et al, 2012) These constructs stem from our pre-existing conceptualizations of teaching and its related responsibilities. This paper seeks to extend that understanding of K-12 teacher to include the role of first responder, and to highlight how reframing the way we understand teachers’ work can change the way we approach our research on teachers.

Authors

• Cecile Huynh Sam, Rowan University

• Jarrett Gupton, University of Minnesota