Linking early educator wellbeing to classroom interactions and teacher turnover

Abstract

In the United States, caregivers and educators who work with children under 5 face low wages and limited workplace supports, creating significant challenges to their emotional and financial wellbeing. These conditions are worse for teachers of the youngest children, ages birth to two. This study uses a large (N∼ 400) sample of early educators from Louisiana to explore the link between wellbeing, defined as depressive symptoms and food insecurity, and two key outcomes, the quality of teacher-child interactions and teacher turnover. We explore these relationships overall and separately by the age of child served. Findings suggest that depressive symptoms are linked to teacher turnover among teachers working with children of all ages, and negatively linked to teacher-child interactions for teachers of preschool-aged children only.