Can students development and learning be affected by the amount of stress and work teachers experience?

Due to the lack of teachers in grades K-12, some teachers have had to teach 6 periods instead of 5. Some even have taught 7. How much extra work is it really to teach a 6th period? Although they get paid for the extra class, it also comes with extra work and stress. Teachers at Wayne Hills like Mr. Jacobson, Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. Green, Miss Garcia, and Mrs. Cammano have all picked up the extra period of teaching. Let’s hear from some of them.

A teacher here at Wayne Hills, Mrs Caamaño says, “Having an extra period is a lot more work but I enjoy teaching so it’s actually pretty fun. I’m fortunate it lined up with my planning but the grading load is much harder. I spend time on the weekend to try to let it not affect the other kids from my other classes. I don’t have a break in the morning so if I need to go to the bathroom, I go in between classes really fast which becomes difficult. I started November 1 and it was supposed to end in March but is now extended to the end of the year.”

Hearing about how much extra work one period is, let’s hear from a teacher who has to teach two periods more.

Another teacher at Wayne Hills, Mrs Mitchell says, “This is a lot more work because I’ve never taught the classes before but luckily she left me a lot of work for the class. The original teacher left for maternity leave. I started April 19th to the end of the year. The only break I get during the day is during lunch and from 1:30-2:19. It’s a lot more work to take home but I try to put in grades on time. It is a lot more stress and work but I am more than willing to help my coworker. I feel busy but it is fun and it feels good.”

The teacher shortage problem is much more severe now than it ever previously has been. The teacher shortage in America has hit crisis levels and many rural school districts have even had to cut down to 4 day weeks of school.

Many teachers have been leaving the 2023 school year due to maternity leave and other health issues. As a result of this, other teachers have been working extra to fill in for the absent ones. The shortage of teachers harms students, other teachers, and the whole education system. The lack of teachers being present also makes it difficult to build a reputation for teaching and teaching students the best education they deserve.