By Giving teachers more time to prepare for class and prioritize their well-being could help students succeed and address Texas’ teacher shortage problem, according to a new study.
When they are not in the classroom, teachers often spend their time by completing paperwork, assisting with non-classroom duties, and allocating instructional materials. Between these duties, homework, and teaching, the average teacher could work 54 hours a week, with 10 hours dedicated to finding classroom materials alone, which affects their ability to prepare lessons and address their mental health.
According to a study by Good Reason Houston, both teachers and students could benefit from more teacher prep time.
With more preparation time, teachers could address their mental health, reduce stress, and perform better in the classroom. In addition, more preparation time means higher quality instruction and allows teachers to more effectively address student learning.
Houston ISD’s NEW Education System (NES) schools have addressed this issue by providing teachers with various forms of support to ease their workload, such as administrators who handle disciplinary issues or support staff who help create differentiated assignments.
Teacher shortage is a national problem; according to a study by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, there are approximately 55,000 vacant full-time teaching positions in the U.S. In Texas alone, there are 1,828 teacher vacancies.
