Educational trends come and go, but teachers on the frontlines often bear the brunt of them. While some are positive, other trends are short-lived and not as effective as originally hoped. Outside the scope of distance learning, 2020 has already seen its fair share of teacher trends.
From classroom designation changes to the rush to assess or diagnose, there are plenty of educational trends that make up a teacher’s day.
Here are some of the most prevalent ones in 2020 so far:
Lack of Funding
Budgets are being slashed, and intervention materials and staff are often cut first. The lack of funding, especially in these challenging times, makes teachers’ lives especially difficult.
Increased Caseload
The caseloads may be increasing, but the amount of time to complete the work is not. Teachers are seeing a spike in the number of cases they are being assigned and often feel compelled to bring work home. This leads to a decrease in work-life balance and teacher burnout.
Pushing Programs Live
New programs are great, but without the proper and necessary training on how to implement them in the classroom, they are not as effective as they could be. Teachers want to have more training on the programs they are expected to use so that they can get the most out of them.
Violence in the Classroom
Trashing classrooms, hitting teachers, throwing things, and endangering other students with violent behavior has seen a dramatic uptick. Teachers and other students often find themselves at the mercy of students with extreme behavior issues. While admirative support seems logical, teachers often report that they are not being supported or protected in the classroom.
A Move to General Ed
Teachers are reporting seeing a big push to keep students in general education classrooms. Self-contained special education classrooms are slowly being phased out or down to the bare minimum.
Behavior Issues Being Labeled as Special Ed
More and more students with non-typical behaviors are being labeled as special education students. In many cases, there is a valid reason for referral, but special ed teachers are aware that many of those students who are referred for behavior issues are not, in fact, in need of special ed services.
Improperly Trained Staff
Without a background in education, it can be difficult to understand how to best help special education students. While some teachers may have their special education degree, there is an increasing trend for those from other professions or backgrounds to get their special ed certification without any training in how to teach in a general ed classroom.
IEPs Not Being Followed
Special education teachers are also seeing a rise in IEPs not being followed in the general education classroom. While some special ed teachers indicate that this has always been a struggle, there seems to be a surge in the number of cases where modifications are being disregarded.
Increase in Lawsuits
As special education staff and services are cut, schools are seeing an increase in lawsuits. Parents are suing schools for not providing the services required by law and, in many cases, are winning.
What are you seeing as some of the top teacher trends in 2020? Share your observations with us below!
