An Examination of Emotional Management Embedded Teacher Professional Development

Abstract

The general problem in this study is that teachers are experiencing burnout, a syndrome expressed by emotional exhaustion. The specific problem in this study was the efficacy of how school districts, particularly Denver Public Schools (DPS), used professional development (PD) to improve the emotional management strategies that positively contribute to teacher wellness. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand teacher perceptions of the efficacy of the emotional management component of the DPS PD. An exploratory case study research design was used to interview DPS teachers who had taken part in at least one emotional management embedded PD session. The findings of this study indicate that despite the perceived ineffectiveness of the emotional management PD, the program was effective in supporting teacher wellness, and opportunities exist for institutions to incorporate emotional management components into their PD by improving the facilitation, format, and orientation of the emotional management components. Providing teachers with the skills and competencies to adequately cope with the emotions that come from the job should be pursued until teacher perceptions of the efficacy of these practices are viewed positively.