Taking care: Women high school teachers at midlife and midcareer

Much of the literature about teachers\u27 lives and careers is problematic. It often fails to involve teachers themselves (Schubert, 1991), specifically women (Miller, 1993; Noddings, 1989). Moreover, it is often written from an administrative, thus frequently white male perspective (Casey, 1992). If documentation about teachers may be race and gender biased, teachers\u27 voices must be included more if we are to interrupt inequities in schools and education research. Women teachers--the majority of whom are now 43 years of age (National Education Digest, 1996)--represent an important population. Their own experience with possible educational and professional inequities and the transitions typical of midlife and midcareer all could add interesting dimensions to their pedagogy and role modeling for adolescent students, particularly girls. This was a qualitative research project based phenomenological interviews (Seidman, 1991) with eighteen participants. In three ninety minute segments, participants were asked to relate how they became teachers, to describe their jobs, and to reflect on the meaning they make of their careers. The diverse women were between thirty-five to forty-eight years old and have taught full time for at least fifteen years in urban and suburban high schools. Interviews were taped, transcribed and analyzed for thematic similarities and differences. Peer debriefing sessions were held at intervals. Major themes from the data included women teachers as care-givers, their growing frustration with administrators over the course of their careers, and a perception that their achievements, experience, and professional opinions are often ignored. Participants expressed feeling powerlessness in often racist, sexist, homophobic work places frequently influenced by good ol\u27 boy networks. On the other hand, at midcareer these women have more confidence in their teaching and with themselves than ever before, and at midlife have developed a greater awareness of their own needs. Some have sought professional development and mentoring to stave off the effects of a flat line career and monotony which can typically accompany midcareer. To prevent burnout which can affect human service professionals (Maslach, 1981) most are redirecting energy from careers to self-care. The relationship between midlife teachers as models for adolescents in transition was not clearly established