Multi-tiered system supports students and teachers
My mother was a high school special education teacher for 56 years, with 46 years at the historic Little Rock Central High School. My father began his career as a social studies teacher, then a middle school counselor, before retiring as an associate director of student affairs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Needless to say, my brother and I were steeped in an understanding of both the essence and essential nature of education. As a 20-yearplus educator, I consistently reflect on the field of education. Within my tenure, I’ve seen educational trends come and go. I’ve also witnessed some classic practices, like relationship building, stand the test of time and continue to bear fruit.
After the trauma and disruption of the pandemic, we teachers noticed unprecedented levels of emotional distress in our students. While the model my district implemented was very effective, overall, students’ mental health needs continue to be acute, and represent a nationwide trend.
Classroom management challenges remain high, and many teachers feel so overwhelmed they are leaving the profession in droves.
Once again, my district is stepping up with a program that has been highly effective in addressing the challenges that contribute to teachers’ stress. According to Darnissia Jenkins, multi-tiered systems of support specialist for Sycamore Community Schools, Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is “rooted in day-to-day relationship building.”
“It is not an initiative, but rather a culture, and when implemented with fidelity, the benefits are significant for students and teachers,” Jenkins told me. With reduced “discipline referrals, disciplinary actions” and bullying, students can focus on academics, alleviating many of the ongoing concerns of educators.
However, many educators feel overwhelmed at the mere prospect of rolling out another program. For teachers who already feel on the edge of burnout, a program that demands such investment may appear to be just one more thing they are being asked to do.
To this, Jenkins responded, “It is certainly not just one more thing, it’s all a part of the same thing,” adding, “It’s for kids; let’s not lose sight of why it is that we became educators. The culture that we seek to create utilizing SWPBIS is great, effective, and efficient.”
Research shows that the positive effects of SWPBIS extend not only to students, but to teachers as well. According to a 2012 study for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, teachers in schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity “had significantly lower levels of burnout and significantly higher levels of efficacy.”
What’s more, teachers in schools with lower income populations tend to reap the most benefits.
The SWPBIS model has the potential to offer systematic support, giving teachers a way to “maintain effective educational efforts and mental wellness” in the face of the mounting challenges of teaching.