Teachers' Personal and Professional Boundaries

Abstract

This study investigates the way in which teachers assess, implement, and adjust their boundaries as they negotiate between their personal and professional lives. The study also looks at how teachers believe they form these boundaries. Research for this study involved administering a questionnaire, interviewing subjects, as well as reviewing journals kept for a 3-month period. The subjects were three satisfied female kindergarten teachers. The study reveals that teachers do have boundaries, and that teachers are aware of their boundaries and are constantly making adjustments to them. The one exception found is how teachers view their personal and professional boundaries regarding the building of relationships with students and their families. Teachers seem to absorb the crossover without adjusting their boundary definitions. These boundaries are unique and dynamic for each individual, and they have various contributing factors.