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Paper short abstract:

This critical ethnography examines teachers’ perceptions of time and their constant negotiations of workplace-imposed policies which they must prioritize in order to aid in their workplace survival (Woods, 1983). Particular attention is given to activities outside of traditional school hours.

Paper long abstract:

When does the workday end for a teacher? The answer is not as easy as identifying when the last bell of the school day rings. In the United States, half of teachers are considering quitting their jobs and teacher shortages and educator burnout are rampant (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Research on teacher workloads (Newberry & Allsop, 2017) and workplace stressors (McCarthy et al., 2016) reveal a need to redefine and reexamine the daily tasks of teachers. This critical ethnography examines teachers’ perceptions of time and their constant negotiations of workplace-imposed policies and procedures which they must prioritize in order to aid in their workplace survival (Woods, 1983). Teachers exist in a context of ever-changing demands on their personal and professional lives. This study gives particular attention to the many extracurricular and community-based activities that are hallmarks of rural school communities, all enabled by the labor of teachers outside the traditional classroom. Situated within high-poverty rural contexts, which themselves, are grappling with “years of policy decisions that did not place them as a priority” (Theobald, 1997, p. 122), this study amplifies the daily challenges facing teachers as they operate as linchpins in a system that does not place their personal lives or health as a priority. Participants’ testimonies of personal costs they have incurred, including the need to “work through lunch” in order to fulfill the many obligations throughout their workday are shared as this study examines systemic factors that are perpetuating a never-ending workday for teachers.