Let's talk about Autism. The ups and downs for guiding an individual that is on the spectrum. Let's not forget about the parents and other children during out talks.
Ever wonder why the heart and soul of our classrooms—our teachers—are trading in their grade books for a quieter life away from the chalkboards? This week, I take you through the disheartening reality of teacher burnout, revealing personal stories of educators who are drowning in paperwork and extracurricular duties that eat into their true passion: teaching. We explore the harsh truths behind the exodus from the classroom, particularly how it's failing students who need that extra bit of attention, especially those with special needs. The discussion exposes the cracks in our education system and the dire need for a support structure that allows teachers to return to what they do best—shaping young minds.
Unlock the potential for a brighter educational future as we examine practical solutions to rescue our teachers from the brink of burnout. We talk about the impact of hiring additional staff to handle non-teaching responsibilities and the benefits of streamlining the avalanche of administrative tasks that currently suffocate our educators. By advocating for change that empowers teachers to teach, we're not just nurturing their wellbeing; we're championing an environment where students can truly flourish. Stay tuned for a compelling call to action for all stakeholders—district leaders, policymakers, and the community—to come together and rebuild an education system that values and supports its most valuable asset: teachers.
Hi everyone. I hope you're having a great weekend. Mine was mostly just being around the home and doing some cleaning getting ready for the week. Today I'm going to talk about teachers and the workforce. If you look on wherever you're from and the list of jobs that are in the school district, they're probably a long list getting ready for next year, needing a lot of teachers because a lot of them are leaving. Many are not going to return or are going to do something different in maybe an education department, but maybe in the office, get out of the classroom, and it's a serious problem in the United States and we need to ask ourselves why. Why is it a serious problem? Why are so many now turning to homeschool, especially if you have a child that's on the spectrum? Are we not training our teachers? Are we not supporting our teachers? It's a little bit of both.
Speaker 0:
Number one reason that teachers are leaving is because they don't get to do their job period. They have so many other avenues that there's some days you think when do I have time to teach? And it's sad that we have to face that way, but it is that way. I was going to go back to work and I found a job I really wanted to do. It was kindergarten, first grade, and working with kids that are not quite in a need to be in special day class but need that a little extra push. But by the time you do everything else that they ask you to do, you're burnt out. You don't, you hardly have time for the kids and there's some days you don't. And I know teachers that there's some days that they think you know I need to do my job but I can't because you've got me doing this paperwork or you got me doing this duty or that duty and that you we got to stop doing that to our teachers. That's why we're losing them. Number one reason usually losing teachers is paperwork Number one. You bombard them with so much that they have to fill out and do that. It takes away from the teaching. It's a tough, tough job and people say well, you get this month off and that month off. Thank God you do, because if not you'd go insane. You couldn't do it, you couldn't keep up the pace. They run you ragged that you're exhausted and it needs to stop.
Speaker 0:
I'm hoping that somebody in districts and people that can change things hear this, because I know for a fact this is what's happening with our teachers. It's not that they don't want to teach or that they don't want to be become teachers. They do. It isn't because they don't want to help our children become better than they do want to. They want all of that, but we are not letting them do their jobs. We're putting so many other jobs.
Speaker 0:
Hire somebody to do morning duty, afternoon duty, cafeteria duty. Get all those things that a person can just come in. A retired person would love a job that just come in a few hours in the morning. A few hours in the morning, few hours in the evening, like we did with security guards Not security guards, but crossing guards. That's what we need. Or they come in, or a couple people come in help with cafeteria activity. Most people don't like doing it, so get somebody that doesn't mind doing it. Do those things. Help people with paperwork, you know. Hire somebody that can help with some of the paperwork and get some of that off the teacher's shoulders so they can become the teachers that they want to become. And we're taking that away from them.
Speaker 0:
And it used to be and I know I've said this before it used to be just special education teachers that would get bombarded with paperwork and this and that, but not anymore. It's right across the board We've got this paperwork, we got to do or that, or you got to do this small group or that small group, or this has got to be done. You got to have people in and out of your room all day long, and sometimes they don't give you the key to the door, so you're knocking on the door, you're stopping your lesson plans and going to answer the door, or a kid has to do it, which is not always an ideal thing, and some schools don't want you to do that. So then it's the teacher that has to do it, and it's distracting, very distracting. So we need to have a better system than what we got right now, because this is not working for us.
Speaker 0:
And another thing that we need to do is Figure out how our kids can learn to behave in school and at home. You know, parents, if you've got kids that are getting up there, don't be afraid of your kids, don't be afraid of putting your foot down, don't be afraid to say no, don't be afraid to take away the electronics If they throw a fit. Throw a fit. Who cares? You know, let them throw a fit. Just know that there's consequences when you do, and that's what we have to do.
Speaker 0:
These kids don't have the consequences that they used to do. They talk back to the teachers, they don't behave, they refuse to work. The teachers don't know what to do with them, and that's another big issue. Between the paperwork and all the extras that are on a teacher, then they have to put up with behavior problems within the school. We need to have stronger discipline within our schools, too, that we do not put up with that they do. They're out or they go to another school that works with behavior problems.
Speaker 0:
I don't think that it's always a good idea that they just go home, because that will be their goal. They want to go home, but we need to figure out a way that, if they have bad behavior in the room, what is our recourses? And you know something, moms and dads and grandmas, if your kid is one of them that's having bad behavior in the school, you need to get to the school and go, sit with them and walk them right through the day, just stay there all day long and know that you're going to be there and that you're going to be watching them that whole day and embarrass them. I mean, embarrass them, but so what you know, maybe they'll learn that they have to behave in school, or you're going to be sitting right there with them all day. So, anyway, that's what I wanted to talk about a little bit today, please, we all need to work together and help each other, but our schools are failing. Our schools are losing our kids. We're losing our teachers. And we've got good substitute, but it's not the same. And we've got good substitute, but it's not the same.
Speaker 0:
You need to have a teacher that is going to be there from start to finish. It makes a difference if you lose a teacher in the middle of it, or they're subs all the time, or you know they're there just to maybe get through the day. That's not even what they are want to do. Sometimes people sub, and I'm not saying that they're not doing their job and that we don't need them. We do need them, but they may be going to college for something else differently and I've talked to subs that have. You know they don't want to be a teacher, they're just doing this to get some money, which is okay, because we do need them, but not as a full-time teacher. We don't. We need to have good educational people in there, and if you're working with kids that are on the spectrum or any type of disability, they need to have special training and we need to give that to them. Not make them pay for it, but give it to them If that's what they want to do. We need that to help our kids. You can't put a bunch of autistic kids in there with a teacher that doesn't know anything about it. It's too difficult. They're not going to know how to service them and what to expect.
Speaker 0:
So, anyway, that is my beef for today. I'm sorry, but I just had to get it out. It's been on my mind a lot and I hope you can appreciate it and understand it. Anyway, I hope you have a blessed week and I will be on soon. Sometime this week I'm going to get myself a little bit of a schedule. I got a new student, another autistic boy, and so I'm trying to figure out my schedule for the week. Summer's almost here, so summer's schedule is going to be a little bit different, but I will be on again this week. I love you guys all. Hope you have a great weekend and we'll talk to you later. Bye, bye.
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