Organizational Supports to Foster Educator Well-Being

As parents return to work outside of the home, more options for childcare are needed. Communities in every state need people to join and stay in early childhood education to support working families and the economy. The importance of early childhood educators in our communities is growing, but the number of people choosing to join the profession has decreased.

Working as an early childhood educator is a "helping profession." The demands of working with others create stress. An essential practice in our work as educators is taking time for well-being. When early childhood educators do not take time to care for themselves or receive support from the programs we work in, we risk burnout.

The book "The Resilient Practitioner" by Thomas Skovholt and Michelle Trotter Mathison shares a definition of burnout (from Maslach and Leiter), "Burnout is the index of dislocation between what people are and what they have to do. It represents an erosion in values, dignity, spirit, and will. An erosion of the human soul."

The book features seven key factors people in the helping professions (including early childhood educators) require in their work life to avoid burnout. The seven key factors are a sustainable workload, feelings of choice and control, recognition and reward, a sense of community, fairness and respect, meaningful and valued work, and personal fit.

Let's examine the seven key factors, how each one influences our work in the classroom and community, and what organizational practices support the well-being of early childhood professionals.

Sustainable Workload - Early childhood educators thrive when they have the autonomy to manage the daily classroom schedule and workload. Many early childhood programs guide children based on a strict schedule developed by program leadership that may not consider the classroom time needed to support the unique needs of each child. Trying to honor the requirements of program leadership may create a checklist mentality toward our work with children and increase tension for the educator.

Choice and Control - All early childhood programs have guidelines for children's health and safety, which are an essential part of providing quality care. The other part of our work with children is offering children opportunities for play and learning. Educators need the freedom to adapt classroom work to meet children's individual needs. Educators grow as practitioners with more classroom autonomy. When program leadership supports classroom work in a mentorship versus a director role, this helps create a collaborative working environment that is more sustainable.

Recognition and Reward - Early childhood education has a tradition of low compensation for the workforce. Some early childhood educators have second jobs to support their families. Often entry-level positions in other fields offer a substantial salary increase, so early childhood educators leave the profession to improve their earning potential and acquire benefits. Some educators work in the classroom for a short time and then attempt to join the program administration to increase their earnings. Working with children, families, and the community is the highest goal, so the structure of early childhood funding needs to adapt to achieve that goal.

A Sense of Community - Early childhood educators want to connect to the community and partner with families in the care and education of each child. Educators also want to partner with program leadership to work for the common good and the growth of the learning community. Some programs create environments that support community connection. Other programs focus more on the parents as customers and deliver a promised service while keeping community connection at a distance. The community connection educators experience at work affects their desire to continue in the profession.

Fairness and Respect - Early childhood educators appreciate the recognition of parents, program administration, and the community as professional practitioners. Often the public impression of early childhood educators is an experienced "babysitter." The formal education of early childhood educators takes different forms from state to state. Most early childhood educators engage in professional development in and out of work and appreciate recognition for the professional values that guide their work with children. 

Valued Work - People want to engage in meaningful, valuable work. Early childhood educators see themselves as professional practitioners working with children, supporting families, and building community. Early childhood educators follow philosophies of practice. They spend time and money learning more about implementing a quality learning experience in the classroom. The community at large respects public school teachers but often has unique impressions about early childhood educators and treats them differently, breaking the desire of individuals to be in the profession.

Personal Fit - To succeed and experience longevity in a profession, we must enjoy the work we engage in. In early childhood education, people from all walks work in the field. Some educators are students working part-time while in college. Other educators are parents looking to earn extra money while the kids are at school. Early childhood educator turnover is traditionally high and is growing as the pandemic continues. To increase the number of early childhood educators, program administrators need to hire people that enjoy working in the school environment. The energy an individual brings to the classroom environment is essential to their success as an educator. Working with children is challenging and physically demanding work. Many people start in the profession because finding a job is not difficult but leave soon after discovering that the work is much more complex than expected.

As you think about the seven key factors early childhood educators need to avoid burnout, look toward the future of our field. How can we improve the experiences educators have in the classroom and community? What actions can we take to support current educators in the field?