As children head back to school, teachers need our support

For the past several years, I have enjoyed viewing friends' photos on Facebook of their children heading back to school. Many now have children in college, while some still have kids in high school. My friends often post their kindergarten or elementary school pictures next to the current photos to proudly show how much their children have grown. I can tell by the half grins on some of my friends' kids' faces that they were probably thinking, "Mom, whyyyy do you post these pictures of me every year?" I always find these reactions amusing, but I believe that when they are older, they will appreciate how their mothers lovingly chronicled significant moments in their lives. One thing that I have always paid specific attention to while reading these annual school posts is the replies of prayers for the protection and safety of children as they return to the classroom to learn and thrive. One of my younger cousins, who has a daughter heading to the fifth grade, posted a heart alongside an anxious emoji on Facebook, writing, "God cover these babies." I think many parents share these sentiments as gun violence and bullying remain top concerns for K-12 students. And while prayers are being lifted for our children, their teachers also need great emotional encouragement. Many of my friends on social media sharing school posts of their children are teachers, people who were my high school and college classmates. A high school friend, who is a music instructor, recently posted her yearly work prayer that she says gives her "comfort toward the long, hard days to come." Teaching has gotten much harder within the past decade, as many teachers are now extremely burned out. Four years ago, a report from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University found that "prestige, interest, preparation, and satisfaction (were) at or near their very lowest point in half a century." Teacher shortages have also been heavily reported in the national news with headlines such as "Educator Exodus" and "Epic Crisis." In my home state of Georgia, where many of my high school friends who are teachers have had long, successful careers, there has been an ongoing teacher shortage since 2018, which worsened during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Professional Association of Georgia Educators conducted a 2025 survey of 3,400 K-12 teachers and found that many felt they did not have adequate support from administrators and parents, and that low salaries were one of the biggest factors driving some of them from the profession. I find the decrease in job satisfaction among many teachers both troubling and sad. I come from a family of educators, and teaching was viewed as one of the most respected professions while I was growing up. However, one major difference that is obvious now when thinking about teachers from my youth is that they had more administrative and community backing. Many also had better work-life balance, which is one of the major recommendations of need for teachers, according to a 2025 RAND Corporation survey. Of the 1,419 teachers in the RAND study, many stated that they would benefit from additional assistance from school leaders to help them navigate "personal and professional responsibilities." RAND researchers concluded that this would result in a better school environment where teachers would "feel comfortable setting work boundaries." As my friends who are teachers prepare themselves, their students and their children for another academic year, with more photos definitely to come from the third group, I am praying that they successfully meet every learning objective and prudently tackle the challenges they will certainly encounter. These words from the prayer of my music instructor friend beautifully embody her approach to the young minds entrusted in her care as well as her colleagues: "Lord ... give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job, anoint my projects, ideas, and energy. ... When I am confused, guide me. When I am weary, energize me. When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit. May the work that I do and the way that I do it bring faith, joy and a smile to all with whom I come in contact. ... Amen." Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com.