abstract: New teachers quit the profession at high levels, particularly in rural and urban schools. These high rates of turnover create staffing issues, particularly in high-needs areas like math and special education. High levels of stress and dissatisfaction with the profession have been cited as common reasons teachers exit the profession within the first few years. However, positive interventions from the field of positive psychology as well as mindfulness have been used in the workplace and have been found to support increasing wellbeing as well as reducing stress. This study defines workplace wellbeing as a construct of positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning/purpose, achievement and health within the workplace. In this mixed methods quasi-experimental study, 26 new teachers within a large suburban schools were sorted into experimental (n=13) and a control (n=13) groups. The experimental group was provided with a mindfulness training (in-person or virtually) as well as was asked to journal twice a week about three things that went well during the week, why those things went well, and what impact that had on students. The experimental group was invited to share their journals with their Teacher Induction and Support Program (TISP) coach in-person during their weekly confidential meetings. The control group was asked to write down any three things that occurred over the week (positive, negative, or neutral) and was also invited to share this with their TISP coach. Participants completed journals for the months of November, December, and January. All participants took a workplace wellbeing survey (developed by Peggy Kern and used with permission of Dr. Kern) at October, December, March and June. Additionally, five participants from the control group and five participants from the control group were interviewed about their experiences as new teachers and their experiences using the interventions. Participants in the control group experienced decreases in their workplace wellbeing throughout the year whereas participants in the control group experiences steady or increases to their workplace wellbeing, particularly in the areas of positive emotions, relationships, meaning, and self-efficacy. Participants in the experimental group also reported mindfulness practices increased their confidence and promoted positive emotional regulation that supported a positive classroom, despite challenging student behaviors. While this study uses a small sample size, these findings were confirmed in qualitative data, quantitative data, and are consistent with findings in related literature. While the findings are consistent with findings in related studies utilizing positive interventions and mindfulness within the workplace, these findings run counter to studies on the emotional experiences of teachers which assert that teacher’s (particularly new teachers) experience high levels of negative emotions and stress, particularly during the middle of the year. The findings from this dissertation suggest positive interventions and mindfulness may bolster new teacher’s workplace wellbeing and self-efficacy during the first year. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2018

Às voltas com os meandros do mal-estar docente, buscamos compreender as vicissitudes da pós-modernidade como produtoras de empecilhos, entraves para o processo de escolarização de alunos do Ensino Fundamental I a partir da seguinte hipótese de pesquisa: o mal-estar docente é fruto de uma exacerbação da função materna no campo educativo - que consiste na tentativa de rechaçar a negatividade inerente à condição humana através da exacerbação de um funcionamento perverso, de excluir o erro, o insucesso do aprendizado disseminado pela proliferação de discursos pedagógicos que reiteram que todos podem aprender, nas prerrogativas da eficácia e da tecnicização do ensino, etc. como tentativa de apagar sua impossibilidade o que impede os professores e os alunos de livrarem-se da excessividade do imaginário? Assim, realizamos entrevistas semidirigidas que se debruçaram sobre as dificuldades com as quais os docentes lidam em sua atuação profissional e o modo como as encaram. O número de sujeitos entrevistados foi definido a partir do conceito de saturação teórica o qual estabelece que as entrevistas cessem quando ficar constatado que as entrevistas não fornecem mais elementos para aprofundar a teorização. O material coletado alimentou nossas análises, nossa discussão teórica, ou seja, o material foi utilizado ao longo de toda nossa conceituação com o intuito de ampliarmos ou introduzirmos elementos acerca do mal-estar docente na pós-modernidade. Para isso, debruçamo-nos sobre a modernidade a fim de entender os alicerces da sociedade pós-moderna e suas implicações para o laço social, para a concepção de educação em voga, para o processo de escolarização, ou seja, voltamo-nos para a discussão de temáticas que estão relacionadas ao chamado declínio da função paterna na pós-modernidade. A partir disso, constatamos que o mal-estar docente é um fenômeno complexo o qual está atrelado aos imperativos da lógica capitalista no âmbito educacional que dissemina a exacerbação da função materna, busca apagar a impossibilidade inerente ao educar, nesse sentido, desvela-se como uma forma de fazer frente aos subterfúgios do funcionamento perverso que se dissemina em nossa sociedade e prima pelo gozo em detrimento da reorganização das pulsões ante as demandas civilizatórias e a tentativa de tornar o processo de humanização das gerações subsequentes uma empreitada eficaz o que impede o próprio professor e o aluno de livrar-se da excessividade do imaginário. / Considering the complexity of teacher burnout, we seek to understand the vicissitudes of postmodernity as generators of obstacles and barriers to the process of education of Elementary School students based on the following research hypothesis: teacher burnout results from an exacerbation of the maternal function in the education field which consists in the attempt to reject the negativity inherent to the human condition through exacerbation of a perverse functioning, the exclusion of the error, failure to learn widespread by the proliferation of pedagogic discourses reiterating that everyone can learn, the prerogatives of efficacy and the technicalization of the education, etc. as an attempt to remove its impossibility, which prevents teachers and students from getting rid of the excessiveness of the imaginary. Thus, we conducted semi-directed interviews about the difficulties teachers deal with in their professional life and how they face them. The number of individuals interviewed was defined based on the concept of theoretical saturation, which establishes that the interviews should end when they no longer provide elements to deepen the theorization. The material collected supported our analyses and our theoretical discussion, i.e., the material was used throughout our conceptualization in order to extend or introduce elements related to teacher burnout in this postmodern period. For this, we looked into modernity in order to understand the foundations of the postmodern society and their implications for social bonding, the current concept of education, the education process, i.e., we focus on the discussion of topics related to the so-called decline of the paternal function in postmodernity. From this starting point, we verified that teacher burnout is a complex phenomenon linked to the imperatives of the capitalist rationale within the educational scope that spreads the exacerbation of the maternal function, seeks to remove the impossibility inherent to education and, in this regard, reveals itself as a way of dealing with the subterfuges of the perverse functioning which is disseminated in our society and prioritizes enjoyment over the reorganization of drives when facing the civilizing demands and as an attempt to make the process of humanization of the subsequent generations an effective work, which prevents the teacher him/herself and the student from getting rid of the excessiveness of the imaginary.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to provide research in examining the difference in student achievement in reading and math through the quantitative data collection of North Carolina EOG scores for students in third through fifth grade from one high poverty and high performing North Carolina public school district before and after implementation of RtI. The population of this study included all students in the public school system who participated in EOG testing during the 2009-2012 school years in grades 3-5. Data collection was carried out using the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Testing and Accountability website to acquire North Carolina End of Grade scores for cohort grouped students for school years: 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012. Each research question had a corresponding null hypothesis. A chi-square analysis was conducted on each of the 6 research questions. All data were analyzed at the .05 level of significance. Findings indicated little difference in student achievement in reading and math EOG scores for students in third through fifth grade before and after district implementation of RtI.

In this thesis I share stories of my journey to make meaning in my life, and explore how my relationship with dogs has helped me to overcome personal challenges. I break these experiences down into what I call my five Fs: family, faith, food, fear, and fido. After giving a history of the human-dog relationship, I extrapolate from my experiences ways in which I believe students and teachers could benefit from interactions with therapy dogs and other comfort animals within the public school day. Specifically, I examine the role dogs can play in helping students and teachers reduce stress and increase self-efficacy. I include the sample animal procedure I drafted for the school at which I teach. I also include some data from my time working with students and my dog. Written in Scholarly Personal Narrative format, I look to weave together my own realizations about anxiety, choice, and identity, with a call for others to find what self-efficacy strategies work for them to make meaning and purpose in their own lives.

For more than two decades, special education teacher shortages and attrition have concerned policymakers and administrators who work to recruit and retain special educators. It is imperative, therefore, to investigate the possible causes underlying the decision of special educators to leave the field. The aim of this current study was to explore teacher commitment to model philosophy and burnout across two well-established preschool treatment models for children with ASD: TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children) and LEAP (Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and their Parents). Additionally, these constructs were explored in Business As Usual (BAU) classroom models. Results indicated that LEAP teachers were significantly more committed to LEAP philosophy and practice relative to the TEACCH and BAU teachers and TEACCH teachers were not significantly more committed to TEACCH philosophy relative to the LEAP and BAU teachers. Additionally, BAU teachers are not significantly more committed to either LEAP or TEACCH, but do share commitment to both classroom approaches. Lastly, post hoc analyses provided support for a quadratic relationship between teacher commitment and aspects of teacher burnout. Implications for school districts and teachers working within the field of special education are discussed.

Performance goal practices have been linked to negative behavioral and emotional outcomes in students. Despite this, little research has been done to understand what leads teachers to use these practices. Additionally, while there is significant research on individual characteristics of students based on their placement in classrooms with high or low performance goal practices, there is a lack of research on how these practices affect their social relationships. These questions were examined in this two journal article dissertation. In the first study, 461 elementary teachers were surveyed on their use of performance goal practices, as well as their years of teaching experience. They were also asked to determine the number of students who drained their energy, a measure of teacher perceived stress. Finally, students from these classrooms were surveyed using peer nominations to determine the number of aggressive students in each classroom, a measure of stress exposure. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate what elements of teacher stress might predict the use of performance goal practices in elementary classrooms. In the second study, 576 elementary teachers were surveyed on use their performance goal practices. Students were assessed on their ability in reading and math, and peer nominations were used to determine to what degree each student was accepted by their peers. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine whether the use of performance goal practices moderated the relationship between academic achievement and peer acceptance. Results from the first study indicate that teacher perceived stress and years of experience are predictors of the use of performance goal practices. Results from the second study indicate that in lower elementary classrooms only, the relationship between math achievement and peer acceptance was stronger in classrooms where the teachers reported a higher use of performance goal practices. Overall, these studies suggest that teachers who perceive more stress are more likely to use classroom practices that do not lead to optimal outcomes for their students. Results also demonstrate that for younger elementary students, these practices inform their decisions about classmates' likeability, which could be harmful to the social status of lower achieving students.

Às voltas com os meandros do mal-estar docente, buscamos compreender as vicissitudes da pós-modernidade como produtoras de empecilhos, entraves para o processo de escolarização de alunos do Ensino Fundamental I a partir da seguinte hipótese de pesquisa: o mal-estar docente é fruto de uma exacerbação da função materna no campo educativo - que consiste na tentativa de rechaçar a negatividade inerente à condição humana através da exacerbação de um funcionamento perverso, de excluir o erro, o insucesso do aprendizado disseminado pela proliferação de discursos pedagógicos que reiteram que todos podem aprender, nas prerrogativas da eficácia e da tecnicização do ensino, etc. como tentativa de apagar sua impossibilidade o que impede os professores e os alunos de livrarem-se da excessividade do imaginário? Assim, realizamos entrevistas semidirigidas que se debruçaram sobre as dificuldades com as quais os docentes lidam em sua atuação profissional e o modo como as encaram. O número de sujeitos entrevistados foi definido a partir do conceito de saturação teórica o qual estabelece que as entrevistas cessem quando ficar constatado que as entrevistas não fornecem mais elementos para aprofundar a teorização. O material coletado alimentou nossas análises, nossa discussão teórica, ou seja, o material foi utilizado ao longo de toda nossa conceituação com o intuito de ampliarmos ou introduzirmos elementos acerca do mal-estar docente na pós-modernidade. Para isso, debruçamo-nos sobre a modernidade a fim de entender os alicerces da sociedade pós-moderna e suas implicações para o laço social, para a concepção de educação em voga, para o processo de escolarização, ou seja, voltamo-nos para a discussão de temáticas que estão relacionadas ao chamado declínio da função paterna na pós-modernidade. A partir disso, constatamos que o mal-estar docente é um fenômeno complexo o qual está atrelado aos imperativos da lógica capitalista no âmbito educacional que dissemina a exacerbação da função materna, busca apagar a impossibilidade inerente ao educar, nesse sentido, desvela-se como uma forma de fazer frente aos subterfúgios do funcionamento perverso que se dissemina em nossa sociedade e prima pelo gozo em detrimento da reorganização das pulsões ante as demandas civilizatórias e a tentativa de tornar o processo de humanização das gerações subsequentes uma empreitada eficaz o que impede o próprio professor e o aluno de livrar-se da excessividade do imaginário. / Considering the complexity of teacher burnout, we seek to understand the vicissitudes of postmodernity as generators of obstacles and barriers to the process of education of Elementary School students based on the following research hypothesis: teacher burnout results from an exacerbation of the maternal function in the education field which consists in the attempt to reject the negativity inherent to the human condition through exacerbation of a perverse functioning, the exclusion of the error, failure to learn widespread by the proliferation of pedagogic discourses reiterating that everyone can learn, the prerogatives of efficacy and the technicalization of the education, etc. as an attempt to remove its impossibility, which prevents teachers and students from getting rid of the excessiveness of the imaginary. Thus, we conducted semi-directed interviews about the difficulties teachers deal with in their professional life and how they face them. The number of individuals interviewed was defined based on the concept of theoretical saturation, which establishes that the interviews should end when they no longer provide elements to deepen the theorization. The material collected supported our analyses and our theoretical discussion, i.e., the material was used throughout our conceptualization in order to extend or introduce elements related to teacher burnout in this postmodern period. For this, we looked into modernity in order to understand the foundations of the postmodern society and their implications for social bonding, the current concept of education, the education process, i.e., we focus on the discussion of topics related to the so-called decline of the paternal function in postmodernity. From this starting point, we verified that teacher burnout is a complex phenomenon linked to the imperatives of the capitalist rationale within the educational scope that spreads the exacerbation of the maternal function, seeks to remove the impossibility inherent to education and, in this regard, reveals itself as a way of dealing with the subterfuges of the perverse functioning which is disseminated in our society and prioritizes enjoyment over the reorganization of drives when facing the civilizing demands and as an attempt to make the process of humanization of the subsequent generations an effective work, which prevents the teacher him/herself and the student from getting rid of the excessiveness of the imaginary.

Teachers face great demands on their time, energy, and level of commitment. Previous studies have established that high numbers of teachers leave the profession each year due to burnout. Burnout is frequently caused by difficulties with classroom management and behavior problems, as well as time pressures, and social isolation. Despite these obstacles, other teachers have been able to maintain positivity and dedication in their practice. Teachers' sense of self-efficacy has been found to be a predictor of better job satisfaction, less burnout, and more positive and productive interactions with students. The current study examined how burnout and self-efficacy may interact and how they might impact teachers' referral of at-risk students for additional school supports. Additionally, this study examined whether burnout and self-efficacy impacted teachers' identification of at-risk students using a screening measure developed to improve the school's ability to identify and start interventions for students experiencing difficulties. Results found a moderate correlation among burnout and self-efficacy, whereby teachers with higher self-efficacy experienced less burnout. Higher teacher self-efficacy was correlated with fewer referrals for students to the student support team and the identification of fewer students at-risk for emotional difficulties. Higher teacher burnout was not correlated with number of referrals but was found to be associated with the identification of more students at-risk for emotional difficulties as well as the number of total students identified as at-risk overall. Implications for practice, limitations, and future research directions are also discussed.

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This study investigates the “the cost of caring” (Figley, 1995) for educators who teach and work with traumatized children; that is children who live in challenging social environments with ongoing stressors, such as family physical abuse, sexual assault, neglect, community violence, bereavement and loss issues, parental mental health and substance abuse, and homelessness. This study examines the theoretical framework of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). The phenomenon of STS has been investigated in depth for professionals, such as social workers, counselors/therapists, hotline/crisis workers, law enforcement officers, nurses, emergency medical technicians/paramedics, firefighters, and disaster relief workers (Bride et al, 2007). This study explores how teachers address the emotional stressors of teaching traumatized children, the impact of their work on them both personally and professionally, if teachers are able to incorporate self-care strategies, and explores the applicability of STS to elementary educators