Preventing Teacher and Counselor Burnout: Self-Care in Training Programs

Gina Cicco*
Department of Counselor Education, School of Education, St. John's University, New York, United States.
Periodicity:July - September'2024

Abstract

This study examines the concerns associated with heightened stress levels experienced by education professionals, particularly teachers and counselors-in-training. Following the COVID-19 global pandemic, teachers and counselors have been faced with a multitude of extended responsibilities due to students' learning lapses and lags, heightened awareness of trauma-based reactions and social challenges in students and professionals, and overall increased cases of anxiety and depression. Preventing burnout is critical for successful student teaching and internship experiences for education students in teaching and counseling programs. Maintaining personal wellness impacts performance, satisfaction, and retention in education professions and eventually results in more optimal services for their students. Teachers and counselors are responsible for the academic, personal/social, and career development of their students of various ages. Traditional tasks associated with these professions have widened as mental health concerns are recognized as direct links to academic success. Caring for students' mental health is embedded within the repert of any robust academic curriculum as a prerequisite for achievement. A piloted two-part prevention or intervention plan employed in a metropolitan teacher-counselor preparation program is described as a potential tool for expanding self- care practices and improving mental health among education trainees. The intervention was beneficial for retaining trainees, improving their fieldwork performance, and reducing reports of stress, anxiety, and depression. Tips for self-care that lead to resilience and burnout prevention are reviewed and can potentially be useful not only for trainees but for seasoned practicing educators.

Keywords

Burnout, COVID-19 Pandemic, Counseling, Education Trainees, Mental Health, Resilience, Retention, Stress, Student Support, Trauma.

How to Cite this Article?

Cicco, G. (2024). Preventing Teacher and Counselor Burnout: Self-Care in Training Programs. i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, 21(2), 1-8.

References

[5]. Gruenert, S., & Whitaker, T. (2015). School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It. ASCD.
[11]. Mullen, C. A., Shields, L. B., & Tienken, C. H. (2021). Developing teacher resilience and resilient school cultures. AASA Journal of Scholarship & Practice, 18(1), 8-24.
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