After seeing a heartbreaking Reel on Instagram made by a teacher already burned out this school year, we did some research to understand the full extent of teacher burnout. It was alarming.

As the two-year ELP pilot program comes to a close this spring, we wanted to find out from those in the program: Did our program work as intended?

Despite facing racism in high school, Vishaun Ezell found support that eventually led her into a rewarding teaching career. This is her story.

Teachers don’t always arrive to the profession in the traditional way. They take many paths to get there, and they need extra support along the way.

Rachel Greene is a typical first-year teacher in many ways. She is navigating the ins and outs of her school, getting to know her students, and planning lessons. But she also faces a unique challenge: she is the only black teacher in her school.

By now, it’s common knowledge that teachers have been bending and breaking under relentless stress. Teachers of color, especially those in predominantly white communities, face an additional, unique set of stressors.

Karla Duff, Organizer at the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), recently sat down with us to discuss what teachers are struggling with, warning signs that things are not good, and how to help.

Teachers of the Year are much more than people who are excellent at their jobs. They are also vast reserves of accumulated wisdom on how to overcome challenges and succeed in a demanding, and deeply rewarding, career. As the 2021-2022 school year came to a close, we spoke with Teachers of the Year for Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa

The COVID-19 pandemic spawned so many trends: baking bread, hosting happy hours on Zoom, and taking RV vacations. It also created a new category of words: burnout vocabulary.

So much is being asked of teachers, whether they’re new to the profession or have 20 years of classroom experience under their belt.

Stephanie Duwve grew up in a family of educators in Ohio. Her mom is a second grade teacher and her dad is a school principal. She loved visiting them at work when she was growing up, but she wasn’t always sure she wanted to follow in their footsteps. “I knew I wanted to work with people,” Stephanie recalled. “I was thinking about becoming a physical therapist. After one day of chemistry, I quickly changed my mind.”