Early childhood educators play a vital role in shaping young minds during the most critical developmental years. They are responsible for nurturing socio-emotional, cognitive, language, and regulatory skills in children aged birth to five. With a significant majority of young children living in households where all adults are employed, the importance of these educators cannot be overstated. However, the demanding nature of their profession, encompassing caregiving, professional development, parent-educator relationships, and adapting to new teaching technologies, places considerable strain on their physical, psychological, and organizational well-being. This challenging environment, compounded by physical demands like lifting and moving furniture, and psychological stressors such as anxiety and depression, can lead to decreased job satisfaction and commitment.
Studies reveal concerning levels of burnout among early childhood educators. In Nebraska, surveys from 2015-2016 indicated that a significant percentage of early childhood educators reported clinically depressive symptoms. When educators feel that their efforts are not adequately rewarded, the cycle of burnout can begin. This burnout not only affects the educators themselves but also negatively impacts the quality of care and education children receive, leading to absenteeism, high turnover rates, and educators leaving the profession. Supporting the well-being of early childhood educators is paramount to ensuring high-quality care and education for children.
Understanding Educator Burnout
Workplace burnout in educators is commonly understood as a state of prolonged occupational stress characterized by negative feelings arising from workplace stressors. These stressors manifest in three key dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.
Figure 1. Common Stressors Early Childhood Educators Face
Emotional exhaustion is marked by feelings of depleted energy, persistent fatigue, and a general sense of being worn out. Educators experiencing emotional exhaustion often find it difficult to cope with the daily demands of their job, impacting their overall performance and well-being.
Depersonalization involves developing a detached or indifferent attitude towards work, including both children and colleagues. This can manifest as cynicism, increased irritability, and a lack of empathy, hindering positive interactions and relationships within the educational setting.
Reduced personal accomplishment is characterized by a decline in self-belief regarding one’s professional competence and effectiveness. Educators experiencing this may feel a sense of inadequacy, questioning their abilities and contributions in the workplace, leading to decreased motivation and job satisfaction.
High levels of burnout can significantly impair an educator’s ability to effectively engage with children. Burned-out educators may become less attuned to children’s needs, less enthusiastic in daily activities, and emotionally distant, missing crucial opportunities to actively involve children in learning. This not only affects children’s social-emotional and academic development but also contributes to high turnover rates within early childhood education, a critical issue in many regions. The constant churn of staff negatively impacts the consistency and quality of care that childcare centers can provide.
Long-term workplace stress is a primary predictor of burnout among early childhood educators. The sources of this stress are complex and deeply rooted in the systems within which educators operate.
Inadequate compensation and low pay are consistently cited as major stressors. Early childhood educators often earn significantly less than professionals in comparable fields, despite the critical nature of their work. In Nebraska, the median annual pay for in-home early care providers and center-based educators reflects this financial strain. Even PreK educators, who generally receive higher pay, still face financial challenges, with many needing to supplement their income with second jobs or public assistance. This financial insecurity directly contributes to stress, fatigue, and a sense of being undervalued.
Increasingly complex and varied work demands add to the pressure. Beyond teaching, educators are burdened with administrative tasks, professional development requirements, and extensive documentation. The lack of dedicated planning time and adequate staffing to cover these non-teaching responsibilities intensifies stress levels. Educators often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks and the pressure to meet ever-increasing demands.
Relationship challenges also significantly contribute to educator stress. Difficult relationships with colleagues and strained partnerships with parents can lead to feelings of isolation, conflict, and heightened stress. Furthermore, the stress stemming from these various demands can negatively impact the educator-child relationship, creating a less supportive learning environment and fostering feelings of inadequacy in educators. This can create a negative cycle, further reducing their effectiveness and overall well-being.
The pervasive nature of stress can spill over into educators’ personal lives, disrupting their work-life balance and perpetuating the burnout cycle, making it seem inescapable.
Everyday Self-Care Tools and Strategies for Educator Well-being
Early childhood educators are the cornerstone of quality learning and development for young children. When educators are thriving, they create nurturing and supportive socio-emotional environments in their classrooms. To ensure educators can provide the best possible care, it is essential to prioritize their well-being through both systemic support and individual self-care practices. While systemic changes are crucial, educators can also proactively implement everyday self-care strategies to manage stress and enhance their overall well-being. These everyday self-care tools and strategies are designed to be practical and easily integrated into the demanding routines of educators.
Wellness Coaching: One effective strategy is to utilize a wellness coach. A wellness coach can work collaboratively with educators to identify their specific well-being needs and develop personalized solutions and strategies. Some childcare programs offer wellness coaches as a resource for their staff. Programs like “Be Well Care Well” exemplify this approach, providing participating childcare centers with a wellness coach who, along with administrators, educators, and family representatives, forms a Well-being Committee. This committee collaboratively develops a well-being plan aimed at promoting well-being through various targeted activities and initiatives.
Mindfulness Practices: Integrating mindfulness into daily routines can be a powerful self-care tool for educators. Mindfulness practices help manage stress and cultivate a more positive and compassionate perspective towards oneself and the world. These practices can include focused-attention mindfulness techniques like guided meditations and yoga, as well as informal daily practices such as taking mindful pauses, paying attention to the surrounding environment, and engaging in non-judgmental reflection. Cultivating gratitude through acknowledgment and expression is another valuable mindfulness-based practice. Early childhood centers that offer mindfulness programs for their employees provide valuable opportunities for educators to incorporate these practices into their daily schedules and even into their classrooms, benefiting both themselves and the children.
Healthy Body, Mind, and Exercise: Prioritizing physical health is a fundamental aspect of self-care. Maintaining a healthy body and mind through regular exercise, nutritious food, and sufficient sleep is crucial for combating fatigue and managing stress. Research suggests that maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, waking up at the same time each day, can significantly improve sleep quality. Incorporating physical activity, such as taking short walks during work breaks, can provide stress relief and allow educators to return to the classroom feeling refreshed and revitalized. Programs that provide substitute staff can enable educators to take brief breaks from the classroom during particularly stressful moments. Furthermore, simple policies like allowing educators to keep water bottles with them throughout the day promote adequate hydration, contributing to overall physical well-being.
Breathing Techniques: Educators often encounter situations that trigger reactive responses, such as managing a disruptive child during nap time. Deep breathing techniques offer a readily accessible tool for managing stress in the moment. By consciously practicing deep breathing, educators can lower physiological stress responses, calm the mind, and shift from a reactive state to a more thoughtful and composed approach, allowing them to formulate appropriate and measured responses in challenging situations.
Self-Compassion: Recognizing the need for self-care begins with cultivating self-compassion. This involves adopting a kind, non-judgmental, and understanding attitude towards oneself. Practicing self-compassion means acknowledging that experiencing difficulties and suffering is a universal human experience. By avoiding negative self-talk and self-criticism, educators can foster a more positive and resilient mindset, enabling them to better navigate stressful situations and maintain their emotional well-being. Self-compassion also extends to fostering compassion for others, contributing to a more supportive and collaborative work environment.
Colleagues and Personal Relationships: Supportive relationships are vital for well-being. Colleagues can be a significant source of support within the workplace. Positive interactions and collaborative problem-solving with colleagues can help educators navigate classroom challenges and reduce stress. Nurturing personal relationships with family and friends outside of work is equally important for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and building a strong support system that can buffer against workplace stress.
Re-evaluating Situations: In conflict situations, whether with children, families, or colleagues, it’s easy to react defensively or impulsively. Taking a moment to step back and re-evaluate the situation with compassionate understanding can prevent escalation and reduce stress. Educators are often working with limited resources and under considerable pressure. Practicing kindness and compassion towards others, and assuming positive intent, can de-escalate conflicts and create a less stressful and more harmonious work environment.
Optimizing Physical Space and Storage: The physical environment of a classroom can significantly impact educator well-being. To minimize physical strain, providing both child-sized and adult-sized furniture is essential. Additionally, providing dedicated personal storage space for educators contributes to a more organized and comfortable workplace. When programs prioritize creating accommodating and functional workspaces, they not only facilitate smoother daily routines but also convey to educators that they are valued and appreciated.
Planned Break Times: Caring for young children is mentally and emotionally demanding. Planned break times are essential for educators to attend to personal needs, such as using the restroom, and to have brief moments for physical and mental refreshment. Having access to substitute staff is invaluable in ensuring that educators can take these necessary breaks without disrupting classroom routines, promoting both their well-being and the quality of care provided.
Resources
While this article focuses on individual strategies, it’s important to remember that systemic support is equally crucial for addressing educator burnout. Resources and further information on systemic approaches can be found through organizations dedicated to early childhood education and educator well-being.
References
Buffet Early Childhood Institute (2017) Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey. https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/our-work/elevating-the-early-childhood-workforce/survey
Buffet Early Childhood Institute (2020) Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission. https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/our-work/early-childhood-workforce-commission
Cumming, T., & Wong, S. (2019). Towards a holistic conceptualization of early childhood educators’ work-related well-being. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 20(3), 265–281.
Edwards, C. P., Hart, T., Rasmussen, K., Haw, Y. M., & Sheridan, S. M. (2009). Promoting parent partnership in Head Start: A qualitative case study of teacher documents from a school readiness intervention project. Early Childhood Services: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Effectiveness, 3(4), 301–322.
Hatton-Bowers, H., Smith, M. H., Huynh, T., Bash, K., Durden, T., Anthony, C., Foged, J., & Lodl, K. (2020). “I will be less judgmental, more kind, more aware, and resilient!”: Early childhood professionals’ learnings from an online mindfulness module. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(3), 379–391.
Hwang, Y.-S., Medvedev, O. N., Krägeloh, C., Hand, K., Noh, J.-E., & Singh, N. N. (2019). The role of dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion in educator stress. Mindfulness, 10(8), 1,692–1,702.
Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. (2015). Transforming the workforce for children birth through age 8: A unifying foundation. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 706 p.
Jennings, P. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (2009). The prosocial classroom: Teacher social and emotional competence in relation to student and classroom outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 491–525.
Maslach, C., Jackson, S.E., & Leiter, M.P. (1996). Maslach burnout inventory-Manual (3rd ed). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Nebraska Department of Education. (2020, March 14) Early Childhood Training Center. https://www.education.ne.gov/oec/early-childhood-training-center/
Phillips, D., Austin, L. J. E., & Whitebook, M. (2016). The early care and education workforce. The Future of Children, 26(2), 139–158.
Roberts, A. M., Iruka, I. U., & Sarver, S. L. (2017). Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey: A focus on providers and teachers. Retrieved from Buffett Early Childhood Institute website: http://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/workforce-survey
Sarver, S.L., Huddleston-Casas, C., Charlet, C., & Wessels, R. (2020). Elevating Nebraska’s Early Childhood Workforce: Report and Recommendations of the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission. Omaha, NE: Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. © 2020 Buffett Early Childhood Institute.
Whitaker, R. C., Dearth-Wesley, T., & Gooze, R. A. (2015). Workplace stress and the quality of teacher–children relationships in Head Start. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 30 (part A), 57–69.
Whitebook, M., McLean, C., Austin, L. J. E., & Edwards, B. (2018). The early childhood workforce index 2018. University of California, Berkeley: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. https://cscce.berkeley.edu/early-childhood-workforce-2018-index/.
This publication has been peer reviewed.
Nebraska Extension publications are available online at http://extension.unl.edu/publications.
Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Nebraska Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
© 2021, The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska on behalf of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension. All rights reserved.
