Moving Targets and Missed Opportunities: Being Honest With Teachers and Ourselves

Abstract

This article provides a conceptual commentary on the special series on potential burnout of teachers of students with emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD). The issue of teacher burnout is considered through a dynamic, ecological systems theory framework to summarize the complexities of working with students with EBD and to highlight the importance of addressing their needs from a whole child in context perspective. Current limits of eividence-based practices, service delivery structures, and research approaches are also considered and possible steps forward are discussed.