Life in Schools

Emily Kott
10105995
Although my Field Experience I was interrupted by an unforeseen death in the
family, I still managed to gain valuable experience from St. Henry Elementary School
and Connect Charter School. During my visits in these schools I began to understand
how schools and classrooms are able to function on a day-to-day basis as well as the
many challenges teachers face in the classroom. I chose two broad themes to focus my
research on and that will allow me to provide deeper elaboration on these two general
themes. This paper will focus on the implications of the teachers well-being inside and
outside of class and the implications of the students well-being inside and outside of
class.
Teachers

are

there

for

guidance,

instruction

and

are

responsible

for the overall facilitation of the students education which should make their
health and well-being one of the foremost priorities, but somehow this has seem
to have fallen by the wayside. At one point, the excellent work-life balance
would have been a factor in many peoples decision to become a teacher but a
shift in this balance is causing a disturbance in the force. There are many
statistics

available

but

research

suggests

that

Alberta

teachers

work

the

longest hours out of any other province samples. Approximately 98% of teachers
will take work home to do either on evenings or weekends and the majority of

teachers will spend approximately 60 hours performing work-related tasks (Couture,

2013).
If statistics arent concrete enough, I dont need to look any further than my
informal
conversation with Margaret Leland of Connect Charter School. In the two weeks
leading up to report cards she has already managed to work another 15 hours
reviewing each student and assigning them a grade. She said she spends about 30
minutes per student, of which she has about 50. While the reasons for this are
many

including

lack

of

funding,

misallocation

of

funds

and

high

student

enrollment, I feel that there is another factor that seemingly gets overlooked.
To the outsider, teachers have a great job where they work (read: play, because
kids are tons of fun in the classroom) for 10 months (with all major holidays
off) and get the ENTIRE summer off. It is sentiments like this why I feel that
teachers are being overworked. In my opinion (and I can say this because I used
to be one of those people), there is ignorance surrounding the importance of
the work teachers do and most people dont understand that teachers are cramming
12 months of work into 10.
Although the workload for teachers appears to be high, things are
being done to help combat this. At Connect Charter School there is a Staff
Wellness bulletin board in the staff room that has information about everything
from workshops about well-being to humorous anecdotes that put a smile on your
face (they say laughter is the best medicine). Common sense (and scientific
studies) have shown that higher levels of stress are not only bad for employees

but bad for business as well. Not only will employees underperform when
fatigued or stressed but this can also lead to the employee needing to take
time off and/or over-utilizing benefits offered by the employer, costing the
employer more time and money in the long run (Couture, 2013). Techniques I have
observed that seem to alleviate some of the stresses of teaching include
extended staff retreats (Connect Charter School) to foster better communication
and understanding among colleagues, using monthly staff birthday parties (St.
Henry) as a chance to visit and enjoy some treats with your coworkers and staff
Christmas parties (St. Henry) to exchange gifts and celebrate the holidays.
Mental

health

of

teachers

is

concern,

but

it

isnt

the

only

health concern that has crossed my mind. The physical health of teachers is an
area that has received less attention than mental health and might be just as
important. I feel as though there can be two (unhealthy) extremes in teaching,
those that stand all day, every day and those that spend most of it at their
desk, sitting. Standing at work has shown to increase productivity and lead to
a

longer

lifespan

(Stromberg,

2014).

However,

studies

have also warned against standing for too long which can lead to cardiovascular
problems, fatigue and lower leg pain (Waters & Dick, 2014). Mr. Sonico at
Connect Charter School has a standing desk which forces him to stand for almost
every second of every day which he claims makes him work better than ever but I
wonder if he will be saying that this time in five years.
By

that

same

token,

sitting

the

entire

day

isnt

ideal

either.

Teaching is a physically demanding profession and to me, being an engaging

teacher means spending moving around the classroom, interacting with your
students. The key here seems to be finding the right balance between sitting at
your desk and moving around the class. Things that might help you combat the
physical stresses of working in a classroom could include purchasing well-made,
dependable shoes (same with clothes) which you are comfortable in for many
hours at a time (like I did before practicum started), remembering to periodically
move around the room if you have been sitting or sitting for a while if your
legs are starting to ache and adapting proper posture if you have not done so
already.
The health of teachers is important for the classroom but none of
it

makes

difference

if

the

health

of

the

student

isnt

taken

into

consideration. Students face many of the same pressures and stresses that
teachers

face

but

in

different

way.

Instead

of

having

administrators

breathing down their neck, students may have academically inclined parents at
home that might be pushing their child beyond the students limits. Instead of
standing for long periods of a time, students are sitting for long periods at a
time while all the studies are showing they need to get outside and play.
Gone are the days when kids could just skip down the sidewalk to
their local school and skip home for lunch. Student travel time, especially at
Connect Charter School is comparable with many adults commutes. I had a
particular exchange with a student at Connect Charter School. We discussed how
long it took her to get to school on the bus and she responded with an hour
and forty-five minutes and Im sure my mouth was left hanging open because I

couldnt believe it. Although she said that she wouldnt change her commute for
a closer school (I love this school and I usually spend my time on the bus
reading anyways), the effects from the amount of time spent away from home
might have a detrimental effect on the 12 year old brain later on down the
road.
During one of my conversations with a teacher at Connect Charter
School she said that many of the students at the school come from academically
inclined parents. Connect Charter School is not giving out ongoing grades this
term but rather ongoing feedback with the only grade coming at the end of each
term. I witnessed this being a major source of stress for one student in
particular

who

is

from

an

academically inclined

family.

witnessed

him

asking the teacher at least five times in one day about the report cards. The
teacher tried her best to put it out of his mind but I could tell that he
wasnt so much worried for his own sake, but more for his parents sake. Parent
approval is a major source of stress in school, which I can attest to from my
own experience.
School

is

the

place

where

children

are

nurtured

educationally

but

what happens if they arent being nurtured emotionally or physically at home?

At St. Henry there were two brothers who had just emigrated with their parents
from Africa in the summer and the teachers began to get suspicious when the
boys kept coming to school in the same clothes day after day. It turned out
their family had very few possession including no furniture and very few
clothes for the children. The staff found a sponsor to adopt the family and

provided them with clothes and furniture (which the staff helped put together
over a weekend). It is rare cases like these (with an even rarer-outcome) that
brings not only the students together but the staff as well.
In

conclusion,

had

wonderful

experience

in

these

two

schools

and Im tremendously grateful for the opportunity to go to my second school on

terms that worked for me. It was nice to get two different viewpoints (one
Catholic, the other, Inquiry-based) and see how different schools and their
school boards function. Before Field Experience I began, I was convinced that a
CSSD school was the place for me and although I did feel comfortable at St.
Henry, it was almost too comfortable, too familiar. This practicum has opened my
otherwise stubborn mind to the possibility that I might fit in better at a
school

that

isnt

Catholic-oriented.

look

forward

to

Field

where I can continue to explore what options are out there for me.

Experience

II

References
Couture, J. (2013, March 12). National study confirms Alberta teachers
experiencing high volumes of work. ATA News, 47(13).
Stromberg, J. (2014, March 26). Five Health Benefits of Standing Desks.
Retrieved from Smithsonian.com: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fivehealth-benefits-standing-desks-180950259/?no-ist
Waters, T. R., & Dick, R. B. (2014, July 7). Evidence of Health Risks Associated
with Prolonged Standing at Work and Intervention Effectiveness. Rehabilitation Nursing,
40(3), 148-165.