Reducing Special Educator Stress and Burnout

The pandemic has forced us to reflect, reframe, and reprioritize much of everyday life, and for educators, it has brought a refocus on the human side of the work. We know that relationships are the foundation of effective practices and that students and teachers have encountered many unexpected challenges for over two straight years. From coast to coast, teachers have expressed high levels of stress, anxiety, and have been leaving the profession at an alarming rate. This past January, the National Education Association (NEA) surveyed its members and uncovered:

• 90% of its members say that feeling burned out is a serious problem;
• 86% say they have seen more educators leaving the profession or retiring early since the start of the pandemic; and
• 80% report that unfilled job openings have led to more work obligations for those left.

In special education, those feelings and numbers are even more daunting. Yet, faced with the realities of the pandemic, many districts have been working to implement new, innovative approaches to supporting the health, well-being, and success of both teachers and students. Join us for this interactive webinar to see what some districts are doing to help special education teams! 

During this webinar the guests will address:

• What makes up the workload of special educators and how it has been affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. 
• Common stress factors for special education educators and how they can be supported
• Traditional and common inefficiencies often seen in special education programs that increase anxiety and decrease student success rates
• Technology in special education and what needs to be done to make special education “future ready”.

Guests:

• Melissa Corto, former special education teacher, co-founder, Education Modified (@mscorto)
• Nicole Fitch, Executive Director of Student Services, Snoqualmie Valley School District, WA  
• Keith Neis, Director of Special Education, Fairview School District, PA (@Neis22)

Moderator:

• Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation, All4Ed, Future Ready Schools^Ⓡ (@thomascmurray)

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to ldossin@all4ed.org. If you are unable to watch the webinar live, please register to receive the video archive directly in your inbox.