Proactive strategies for preventing resource teacher burnout
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Resource teachers in Manitoba are responsible for supporting diverse groups of students, while working alongside educational assistants, teachers, administrators, clinicians, consultants, and parents/caregivers. Their duties include managing a caseload of students requiring student-specific plans, supporting the coordination of clinical services to those students, facilitating learning goals based on assessments, aligning teaching strategies with resources, and a range of other duties as assigned. While resource teachers play a crucial role in supporting appropriate educational programming in schools, they can experience stress and burnout due to the demands of their job. Implementing proactive strategies can help alleviate symptoms of burnout experienced by resource teachers. To better understand the challenges and strategies used by resource teachers to prevent burnout, a research study was conducted with six resource teachers from different school settings in Manitoba. The participants engaged in two focus group interviews through Zoom videoconferencing. Grounded theory methodology was employed to identify four emergent themes: (a) the need for school leaders to have a clear and shared vision of student support services, (b) the importance of a safe and caring school culture, (c) the value of resource teachers’ awareness of mental health and well-being practices, and (d) the need for continuous professional development in inclusion and student services. The study revealed that resource teachers face unique challenges and utilize a variety of coping strategies to prevent burnout. The data collected through the focus groups can offer valuable guidance for school divisions, school leaders, universities, and other educators in supporting best practices for inclusion that strengthen student outcomes and foster a fulfilling school culture for school communities.