Research: Only 10% of early childhood teachers have enough time to get their work done
Early childhood teachers face high rates of stress and job turnover. A new study from the University of Georgia found that a lack of planning time may only make things worse.
Planning periods are times when teachers are away from students and working on other professional tasks. For early education teachers, those tasks include things like documenting children’s development and progress, writing lesson plans, and communicating with parents.
Though teachers working in elementary, middle, or high schools are required to have this time, it isn’t mandated for early education teachers. That may be why the new study found that only about one in 10 early childhood teachers said they had enough time to complete all their work.
“Most of them are doing their planning and work tasks during their personal time, which includes evenings and weekends,” said Erin Hamel, lead author of the study and an assistant professor in in the Department of Educational Psychology. “That can be problematic because it encroaches on their personal lives and can lead to burnout and turnover.”