Date of Award

2022

Abstract

It is not uncommon to hear about teacher burnout at this moment in the United States after two years of adapting to new demands in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. At the school where I work and live in Western Massachusetts, our initial response included slowing down and doing less, but as we readjust to the demands of modern schooling and feel the impact of broader systems of influence, many are feeling like there is too much to do, and not enough time to do it. In cultures like the United States that value productivity, efficiency, and busyness, time itself is considered a resource that can be monetized and divided. Not all people view time in this way, valuing rest and relationship building over work and productivity. At my school, we are made up of a community of adults and adolescents (ages 14-19) from over thirty different states and thirty different countries. We are a multicultural learning ecosystem that operates on a busy, full schedule, one that often leaves students and teachers feeling exhausted and stressed. This Capstone, part of the requirements of the Masters in Leadership for Sustainability (MLS) program at the University of Vermont (UVM) served as an inquiry into personal and collective relationships to time to better understand dominant systems and structures that perceive time as a commodity. This inquiry engaged methods of self-reflection, small group sessions with students, and semi-structured interviews with administrators, and led to a strong recommendation for a daily schedule that includes time for rest, creativity, and relationship building moving forward.

Program Director

Matt Kolan

Professional Affiliate Coach

Jennifer Lentfer

Professional Affiliate Anchor Coach

Heather Laine Talley

Document Type

Project

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