Early Childhood Special Education Teachers: The Burnout Crisis

24May
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

One of our goals here at La Comadre is to ensure parents know their rights and how to fight for the correct IEP services when their child has additional needs. However, it’s also important to look at the needs of the teachers who spend hours with our children. A recent study reported by Nevada Today found job burnout increased for Early Childhood Special Education teachers: 

“Teachers’ lack of school resources and the high demands placed upon them, the stresses of their work, and their commitment (or lack thereof) to their job were identified as some of the predictors of increased psychological stress and burnout.

The study looked at job resources, job demands, teachers’ beliefs regarding commitment to their job, and specific teaching methodologies, investigating whether these correlated with how much stress the teachers were experiencing. The authors discovered that building up a more collaborative atmosphere, encouraging feedback on curriculum-related decisions and effective professional development programs all have the potential to reduce the job burnout special education teachers face.

Preparing teachers during their pre-service training on how to deal with the unique needs of children with disabilities during their own education finds them much less stressed when they do end up in the classroom.” 

Its important teachers are adequately trained not only to instruct but enrich the minds of our most vulnerable students. Are you currently pleased with the special education services offered by your school and district? How do you think they could improve?

What do you think?
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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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