Saved by MPBS: Musings on “10/36: Teachers in Crisis”

Over the last two-plus COVID school years, much focus has been placed on the pandemic’s impact on children and on the K-12 sector’s districts, staff, and teachers. What most in the community do not realize, however, is that those of us working in Higher Ed and our students have also been profoundly affected in a negative way. Whether K-12 or Higher Ed educators, the work that we do is rewarding, but it is also complicated and draining, both magnified by pandemic conditions.

Most troublesome is that those who are not in education, or those who are but do not work directly with students, cannot really know what an average day is like for student-facing professionals because they cannot see inside our heads or our hearts. Because of that, they are unable to realize the full impact of on-going, contiguous cycles of observing, thinking, planning, acting, evaluating, and adjusting, taken with worrying about students, meeting the demands of our profession and workplace, and making sense of the self-dialog that plays out in our heads not just at work, but for hours thereafter. In other words, the mental and emotional toll of the work that we do every day. Many of us often have difficulty putting our “invisible” lived, stressful experience into words. I was no different.

That is, until recently when I happened upon an episode of the MPBS program ‘10/36’ entitled “Teachers in Crisis'' that featured Julie Rine Holderbaum’s blog, "A Typical Teacher's Brain in an American Public High School on Any Given Day." Listening to her narrate thoughts she has had during any given day, I thought, “That is exactly what I hear in my head every day. That is how I feel!” I was excited that someone had put into words the thoughts, the worries, the pent-up feelings, the stress, and the emotions that come with the job. Mostly, I felt the weight on my shoulders lightened, just enough, on a difficult day.

The episode also examined the roots of teacher dissatisfaction and why many have left their current place of employment or the profession altogether, a wake-up call for district administrations and boards whose words do not always match their actions

HERE is the link to the ”10/36: Teachers in Crisis” episode for those who are interested.

Congrats to the MPBS bargaining unit members who worked on the show -one of the few still locally produced at MATC – for a job well done. And of course, a heartfelt thanks to all members of our Local 212 family. Together we lighten the load for each other and for our students.