Here’s a Way Forward With Challenging Students

Giving teachers a chance to use their expertise can have stellar results

By Bryan Mascio & Hunter Gehlbach

Teachers are working hard to do right by their students, but these last couple years have been tough.

When surveyed by the federal Institute of Education Sciences earlier this year, teachers weren’t feeling great about whether their schools have been providing students what they need—89 percent were concerned about their students’ academic needs, and the vast majority also worried about students’ social, emotional, and mental health. Schools, in turn, are worried about their teachers, especially that they are burning out—the top concern about staffing all across the country.

So how do we support teachers in providing for their students in need without contributing to the burnout and demoralization that they are already suffering from? We tried one approach we found promising.