Educational Research 515

I was recently asked to develop a research question for my Educational Research class.  Since I’ve recently spent a lot of time reading and thinking about happiness, I was naturally drawn to this topic. 

So, I’m wondering what the relationship is between teacher happiness and student behavior.  Everyone knows that if someone is happy, she will work harder and be more productive in her chosen profession.  Day after day, I listen to my co-workers in education complain.  It seems like we have so much to be down about these days.  There’s no money for us.  Our students are not meeting state standards.  We have little or no supplies.  Our students don’t seem to care about learning and their behavior is, at times, a little scary, to say the least. 

We cling on to the little rays of light to make us happy – the student who continually excels, despite the crazy behavior of her classmates; the student who finishes his first book all year; the student who manages to go from a D- to a C+.  And still we leave everyday drained and exhausted, only to turn on the news and hear what a lousy job we’re doing and how we’re letting down our children and communities.  

I can’t research it all.  My course is only eight weeks long, after all.  So what do you think?  Is there a significant relationship between student behavior at school and teacher well-being and happiness?  I know education is all about the student.  But shouldn’t some of it be about the teachers?  Isn’t our safety and success important too?