Teacher Education in the Time of COVID-19: Creating Digital Networks as University-School-Family Partnerships

As COVID-19 has suddenly transformed the landscape of learning in the United States, teachers are doing what they do best: figuring out how to effectively respond to support their students on their own. However, by creating digital networks that include university-school-family partnerships, the reach of teachers and teacher educators can increase. Teacher educators can provide support, systems, and strategies to maneuver the additional stressors and challenges posed by teaching during COVID-19. In this essay, we discuss how university-school-family partnerships mitigate the impacts of trauma, augment digital learning, and provide support for a variety of instructional scenarios happening in homes. Our focus on middle grade learners provides promise for meeting the needs of diverse students while capitalizing on the resources and expertise of universities, schools, teachers, and families

Examining the Relationship between Teacher Beliefs, Prekindergartener's Self-Regulation and Classroom Quality: Informing Professional Development Programs

The purpose of this convergent parallel, mixed methods study was to examine and explore the relationship between subjective teacher beliefs, classroom quality, and pre-kindergartener’s self-regulatory abilities within a publicly funded pre-kindergarten program. Teacher subjective beliefs (beliefs of classroom management, classroom practice, and beliefs of children) were studied operantly using Q-Methodology, in addition to, audio-recorded focus groups to explore the lived experience of teachers within the sample ( n = 20). Classroom quality was measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and pre-kindergartener’s self-regulatory abilities were studied using pre/post proxy items from the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Preschoolers, Second Edition (DECA-P2). A criterion sort was created to determine correlation between trainer, coach, and model teacher beliefs sorts and teacher belief sorts. Data were separately collected and analyzed prior to intercepting for interpretation with priority assigned to the quantitative data. Non-parametric testing was employed with ranked beliefs, CLASS, and DECA-P2 distribution-free data. The following corroborated QUANqual results emerged: a) studying subjective beliefs operantly using Q-methodology provides researchers the ability to determine different and similar pure associations with constructs, b) in classroom coaching and training influence teacher beliefs about classroom management, practice, and children, teachers believe developing student’s social emotional competence, specifically, c) self-regulation is fundamental for pre-kindergarteners, teacher beliefs impact children’s self-regulatory growth, d) classroom quality is influenced by teacher beliefs regarding classroom management, specifically regard of student perspective, reviewing teacher beliefs operantly, e) studying beliefs operantly provides additional insights for coaches or trainers to specifically target constructs. This study recommends that future studies include a larger nationally based sample to explore and examine the relationship between teacher beliefs, classroom quality, and children’s ability to self-regulate. This study found that teachers beliefs, correlated with exemplars, effect the average change in self-regulatory abilities for prekindergaterners. The researcher recommends that future studies implement parametric testing with larger studies to determine the generalization of the effects

RACIAL DESCREPANCIES OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS BASED ON FLUID CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH MEASURES DURING THE WORKDAY

BACKGROUND: Previous data from our lab suggests that elementary school teachers consume inadequate amounts of fluid because of their limited restroom access. Inadequate fluid intake can promote renal and cardiovascular issues associated with chronic dehydration. The purpose of this study is to determine if there are fluid consumption and health discrepancies between elementary school teachers when stratified by race. METHODS: 29 elementary school teachers were stratified into two groups based on race (15 white and 14 non-white) (age 34 ± 8.9). Pre- and post-school day anthropometrics and vitals were conducted and heart rate (HR) measurement via Polar® H10 monitor was collected through the school day. Fluid consumption during the workday was self-reported. Urine samples were collected pre and post for analysis of urine-specific gravity (USG), creatinine, and lipocalin-2 concentrations. Data was analyzed using paired samples t-test for time within groups (pre-post) and independent t-test for between groups at an α of p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The non-white systolic blood pressure (SBP) (118±14 mmHg) was significantly higher than the white SBP (108±10 mmHg) at both pre and post measurements (p=0.0347), while the age and body fat% discrepancy between different races was nonsignificant. Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) was significantly greater in the non-white teachers (93±10 mmHg) than in the white teachers (85±9 mmHg) (p=0.037). No other racial discrepancies were found. The average HR throughout the workday was 90±8.9bpm, and they reached a max HR of 69.5±.05% of their calculated HR max. Pre-creatinine levels were significantly higher (216.8±117.4 mg/dL) for all teachers than post-creatinine levels (164.2±94.4 mg/dL) (p=0.024). The differences between USG and Lipocalin-2 levels throughout the workday were insignificant. CONCLUSION: These results provide a characterization of fluid consumption habits and health measures between white and non-white teachers. Only SBP is affected by one’s race independent of age and BF% in this population. Creatinine levels decreased for all teachers despite low fluid consumption throughout the day. More research is needed in this population to determine the relative risk of renal and cardiovascular health issues