Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers: The Practice of Compassion and Support

What distinguishes family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers from other teachers in a K-12 setting is the population they teach and the subject matter taught (Poirier et al., 2017). FCS teachers teach students social, emotional, and cognitive skills including cooking, sewing, finance, life/relational skills, and child development. This variety of skills is taught through courses that synthesize foundational components of science, math, reading, and communication—skills that are ideal for preparing students for careers in agriculture, architecture/ construction, hospitality management, human services, and many others (Minnesota Department of Education, 2019). FCS teachers are tasked with teaching subjects that are not strictly academic—they are life and career skills that are invaluable to their students. This responsibility has its own set of challenges, which can include scheduling difficulties, low funding, and increasing class sizes. One of the most prominent issues is the separation from other faculty that FCS teachers experience due to the eclectic nature of their courses (Godbey & Johnson, 2011). Quite often, schools have only one FCS teacher. This limited connection with colleagues can contribute to feelings of loneliness and frustration by FCS teachers.

Dan Moen, PhD (daniel.moen-1@mnsu.edu) is Professor, Department of Family Consumer Science, at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN; Marin Olson and Kory Engelstad are graduates of the Department of Psychology at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN; and Jill Conlon, PhD, is Professor, Department of Family Consumer Science, at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN.

The authors would like to acknowledge ProQOL-5 authors Dr. Henry E. Stamm, PhD, Craig Higson-Smith, MA, Amy C. Hudnall, MA, Dr. Neill F. Piland, and Dr. Beth Hudnall Stamm, PhD, for their efforts in the creation of the ProQOL-5 survey.

Many FCS teachers spend time addressing a student’s personal problems, whether they are problems at home, with their peers, or internal/emotional issues (Godbey & Johnson, 2011). Due to the content areas covered by FCS teachers, students likely feel more comfortable disclosing personal information to them. Given the nature of the position, FCS teachers serve their students in many ways beyond just teaching; they typically attempt to engage them in the subject matter while simultaneously being attuned to the student’s well-being. By assuming this helping role, coupled with teaching a unique curriculum, it is hypothesized that FCS teachers may suffer from compassion fatigue, burnout, and occasionally, secondary trauma. This paper addresses (a) family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers’ levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (STS); (b) systemic improvements FCS teachers believe need to be made; and (c) what fuels FCS teachers to continue their important work.

Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue includes two components: burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Compassion fatigue usually occurs when someone feels that their efforts make no difference (Stamm, 2010). Teachers may perceive that their efforts are ineffective because, in most scenarios, they are unable to directly affect the home or personal life of their students.

Burnout

Burnout is “a state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward” (Gold, 1984, p. 271). ProQOL-5 characterizes burnout as a part of compassion fatigue involving feelings of unhappiness, disconnectedness, and insensitivity to the work environment. Burnout also may include exhaustion, feeling overwhelmed, feeling bogged down, being “out-oftouch” with the person they wish to be, and having no sustaining beliefs (Stamm, 2010). Based on this definition, teachers may experience burnout if they do not observe the expected growth of their class, either academically or personally.

Secondary Traumatic Stress

STS is a recent classification of emotional distress correlated with experiencing another person’s stressful event(s) secondhand (Lawson et al., 2019). Providing support for another person by serving as an emotional container can become taxing. This is especially true in circumstances where the support person does not see a substantial positive change toward a solution or redeeming factor.

FCS Teacher Input

We surveyed FCS teachers (n = 236) throughout the country using the ProQOL-5 (Stamm, 2009) to seek their insight about compassion fatigue, burnout, and STS. The first method of recruitment was a survey link posted on the private Facebook page entitled “Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers,” a national page with more than 16,000 FCS teachers as followers. The second method of recruitment was an email sent to the members of the Minnesota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (MAFCS). This email was sent to approximately 280 members of MACFS—a state affiliate of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), a national nonprofit organization (American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, n.d.-a, n.d.-b). We looked for themes across participants’ open-ended responses.

What do you need to feel less fatigued in your career?

Two major themes emerged from FCS teacher input: (a) the need for support, and (b) the need for more time. FCS teachers would like more support from parents, their administrators, and their students. Participants stated: “Less paperwork, more support from the admin to feel like I am a vital part of my high school and not just an extra.”

I am the only teacher in my school that teaches FCS. Last semester, I taught 12 classes in a 7-period day. I need more support to help me get my job done or they need to hire another teacher.

Regarding “time,” FCS teachers reported a need for a lighter workload or the time to complete the workload that they have. Additionally, FCS teachers would like smaller class sizes, or more time to focus on their students as individuals. Furthermore, FCS teachers mentioned that there are mandated training sessions and paperwork that sap a lot of their time and takes away from the work that they would like to do. These updates to work structure may promote greater overall satisfaction and job functioning. One participant stated:

Less preps. I often have 4-6 preps a semester on a 7-period schedule (meaning I teach a different class every period). I also prep labs and grocery shop on my own time while juggling 3 kids. It is also exhausting bouncing from several different subjects - 1 period I cook, then we talk labor and delivery, then work on resumes, followed by some sewing, community service work after lunch, and end with another food lab. I love my job . . . but that’s a lot for anyone. As I age and my own children require my energy it is getting harder and harder.

What is the best part of being an FCS teacher?

We also noticed two themes related to the best part of being an FCS teacher: (a) relationships with students, and (b) course content. Teachers report that the relationships they have with their students are why they love their jobs; they enjoy celebrating their students’ success and making a difference. These personal connections may serve to buffer the impact of job-related compassion fatigue, burnout, and STS. One participant reported the following as a favorite part of the job:

Connecting with students and seeing them blossom. Especially the students that don’t always excel in traditional/core classes but are phenomenal examples in the FCS classroom because of alternative life experiences.

In terms of course content, FCS teachers report high satisfaction with the variety and focus of their classes. They love how applicable the content of their courses is. Variety in a schedule and tasks may aid in limiting the impact of burnout. One teacher finds satisfaction in “teaching valuable life skills to students who will benefit from the course.” Another stated:

We teach what everyone needs to know to have a household function efficiently. It is rewarding to see kids succeed in the numerous hands-on experiences we provide (and learn through their mistakes.)

Implications and Conclusions

FCS teachers must feel validated for their efforts and receive the positive and compassionate administrative support they deserve (Cherkowski, 2012). FCS teachers should be featured within their respective school districts by having their work showcased, and the value of their work efforts should be expressed within the greater educational system. FCS teachers need a sense of community and thus may utilize ways to connect more regularly with FCS colleagues (e.g., Zoom meet ups). FCS teachers need funds to provide quality lessons and parental support for students to avoid overextending themselves. These teachers are a proactive and caring group demonstrating their steadfastness as well as their need for better supports. Additional emotional support/processing to buffer the effects from burnout and STS may be promoted through employee wellness programs and familyfriendly work schedules. Additionally, administrators may recognize FCS teachers’ requests for prep time and consistency in work structure (e.g., schedule, facilities, supplies).

Our participants were homogenous and regional in demographic characteristics, with most of our sample coming from the state of Minnesota. However, our sample seems to be consistent with that of current employment data statistics (Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher Education, n.d.). Data collection was completed in May of 2020, at the end of the school year and 3 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing of the survey may have influenced participant responses. Additional investigation could explore the impact of school schedule and other factors on compassion satisfaction. Additionally, we recommend a survey of administrators and a student outcome survey to develop knowledge of cognitive/social development.

References

American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. (n.d.-a). https://www.aafcs.org/home

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Cherkowski, S. (2012). Teacher commitment in sustainable learning communities: A new “ancient” story of educational leadership. Canadian Journal of Education, 35(1).

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Gold, Y. (1984). Burnout: A major problem for the teaching profession. Education, 104(3).

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Minnesota Department of Education. (2019). Family and Consumer Science https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/cte/ prog/facs/

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