From the News-Press.com, by Ashley A. Smith
At 6:45 a.m. every Monday through Friday, Sara Kohlhauff is in her classroom at Pinewoods Elementary in Estero.
She’ll be at the school until about 4 p.m., if she doesn’t have meetings to attend, then go home and take care of her two dogs. Even then, she’ll work another two or three hours from home.
On weekends, it’s more of the same.
“Weekends are blocked out with schoolwork, planning and preparing,” said Kohlhauff. “I love what I do. I just can’t seem to get it all done.”
Public school students now must earn higher scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, curriculum standards have been raised and classroom time is limited, and teachers feel pressure and stress for their students to succeed.
“We do have teachers that talk to us about the stress they see and the tremendous amount of pressure,” said Mark Castellano, president of the Teachers Association of Lee County. “Everyone is flipping out over the new cut scores.”
Toward the end of last year, the state Legislature and Department of Education raised cut-off scores for the FCAT, which started Monday and runs through April 27.
“It’s typical of the Legislature and DOE to come up with stuff and not test or pilot it,” Castellano said. “They just do, and everybody has to live with the consequences.”
Whether dealing with changes to the FCAT or the everyday struggles of bringing a class of students up to grade level, there are a few things teachers can do for themselves to relieve stress.
“It’s very important when teachers deal with stress they learn to take care of themselves: breathing, meditations, enjoying life,” said Barbara Esno, an 11-year teacher at Lehigh Elementary School and last year’s Teacher of the Year. “It’s important for new teachers to have great mentor teachers. I still have that and you learn to support and share and encourage one another.”
The Lee County School District offers an employee-assistance program that includes stress-management components. Employees can meet privately with a counselor, but wellness coordinator Lisa Brown said diet and exercise is crucial for staff throughout the school year, not just at FCAT time.
“Healthier employees are better able to handle their stress,” Brown said.
When state testing time arrives, Esno said she tries to remain upbeat for both her colleagues and students, who can also feel the pressure from testing.
“Some of the pressure gets worse around FCAT, especially with the tie-in with teacher pay and performance,” said Esno. “I try to maintain a positive momentum. It’s not going to help the kids or your teammates if you’re stressed. If you keep it positive, then it affects your psyche.”
But Kohlhauff said she doesn’t hold the FCAT up as the standard or end result for her students.
“The (FCAT) checks and balances are unbelievable,” said Kohlhauff. “That’s stressful, based on the paperwork I’m signing promising what I will do and won’t do. What stresses me out is I can lose my certificate over something perceived to be an indiscretion. So I’m going to be reading that very carefully to make sure absolutely nothing can be misconstrued.”
The stress from teaching doesn’t just happen around state testing time, Esno said, adding that unfunded state mandates, accountability measures connected with statewide testing and time constraints can add to the pressure.
“We have quite a bit of curriculum to squeeze into our day and our days are rather short,” said Esno. “I’m not a normal teacher, though. I start at about 7 a.m. and depending on the day, finish around 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. I’m not the norm, but there are plenty of teachers who work well beyond their (contract) hours.”
Esno and Kohlhauff coach after-school activities and plan extra projects to help their students.
“In all fairness, I do take on extra projects,” said Kohlhauff, a mom of two sons in college who also provides training within the Lee County School District. “A lot of teachers just aren’t teachers. We have lots of other duties and responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean the grading doesn’t get done. The nicest thing is everyone is in the same boat and you can go to somebody and they understand.”
Esno, who says teaching is more a lifestyle than a career, is single and doesn’t have children.
On weekends, she will go to sports events to support her students. Her Sundays are spent cleaning, cooking, walking her dog and laundry. At night, Esno teaches GED classes.
“Teaching doesn’t pay very much and I’m the only one paying my bills, so in the world of part-time jobs, that’s a good one,” she said. “At the end of the day, I can’t do anything else. I could do something with a lot more money, yes I could, but I wouldn’t be as fulfilled.”
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120420/NEWS0104/304200036/1013/lifestyles/Stress-tests-our-teachers
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