Resilience in the Trenches: Forging Innovative Strategies for Wellness Among Special Educators
Document Type
Conference Session
Publication Date
11-2024
Abstract
In her first presentation, "Resilience in the Trenches: Forging Innovative Strategies for Wellness Among Special Educators," Lesh, alongside co-researcher Dr. Amy Stevens, highlighted the alarming rates of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma among special education teachers. Their extensive survey revealed statistically significant levels of emotional and physical exhaustion among educators, particularly those working with students with emotional and behavioral challenges. Lesh emphasized the need for trauma-informed training and robust self-care programs to better support the mental health and resilience of teachers.
Host
Omni William Penn Hotel
Conference/Symposium
Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Annual Conference: Empowering Educators for Tomorrow's Challenges
City/State
Pittsburgh, PA
Department
College of Education
Recommended Citation
Lesh, J. J., & Stevens, A. (2024, November 5-8). Resilience in the trenches: Forging innovative strategies for wellness among special educators [Conference session]. Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
Comments
This year's TED conference, themed "Empowering Educators for Tomorrow's Challenges," focused on innovative solutions to equip educators with the tools to support diverse student needs in an evolving educational landscape. The conference underscored key themes, including educator resilience, the ethical use of technology in education, and strategies for inclusive and effective teacher preparation.