This academic year I had the opportunity to start serving the third school district of my educational career and I am excited to report that one thing remains the same…the field of education is rich with excellent educators.
These excellent educators transcend demographics and make a difference regardless of the variables. I have seen this while serving in a variety of environments from diverse to relatively homogeneous, rural to suburban, elementary to secondary, and from the building to district levels. Although the profile has changed over time what has not changed is that great educators are great educators, great leaders are great leaders, and we are fortunate to have every one of them.
Given the landscape in which we operate this is nothing short of remarkable. The existence of these amazing educators gives us so much to be thankful for, but this is also something we should never take for granted.
We need to pause and ask ourselves a simple question – will it always be this way? We then need to ask a more productive and important question – how can we keep it this way and also continue to improve?
When I was in my undergraduate teacher prep program I naively held the belief that by simply becoming an educator I would be appreciated and revered by all that I served – students, parents, and community alike. Who could possibly hold any other perspective towards a young adult who chose this noble profession over all other careers – many of which were better paying, required less hours, and held more prestige. I was sure that what I may have sacrificed would be recouped tenfold in respect, admiration, and the ability to make a positive impact on those around me.
Up-and-coming educators need to be prepared for the fact that this is not always our reality.
The climate in which we operate makes it all the more impressive that our excellent educators have achieved excellence and have maintained excellence over time. We can easily be consumed by the demands, perceptions, and politics of education. Variables such as pay, stress, hours, wearing multiple hats, triage, burnout, and demanding constituents are pushing many teachers out of the profession. Meanwhile, we have rocket scientists telling us that teaching is a more difficult profession than their own…no seriously, you can read about it here.
This challenging narrative is no doubt countered by all of the positive outcomes that do result from serving as an educator. Among those notable factors are an unparalleled sense of purpose, a wide-reaching impact, the ability to influence future generations, and the opportunity to serve others and promote the common good. There are also some recent signs that the narrative on teacher public perception may be changing in a positive way.
The fear is that a tipping point exists and we want to keep our excellent educators far away from that point.
How do we keep these excellent educators in the field while also developing more of them? There is actually a lot that we can do as educational leaders. The University Council for Educational Administration released a report in January of 2018 which identified four primary areas where principal effectiveness can positively impact working conditions that promote teacher retention. Those impacts included a strong mission and vision, professional support, clear communication, and consistent feedback.
The report went on to highlight the following list of more specific behaviors found in effective principals:
This report continues with other worthwhile recommendations for district and state level leaders as well. Some of those district level recommendations include:
I know I want my educational career to continue with as many, if not far more, excellent educators. I want the same for everyone else’s school systems as well. Being intentional in creating the environments for this to occur is of paramount importance. I believe it is attainable if we give it the priority it deserves. Let’s work together to keep this one thing the same..the field of education being rich with excellent educators.
Works Cited
Fuller, Edward, Pendola, Andrew, and Young, Michelle D. UCEA Policy Brief 2018-2: The Role of Principals in Reducing Teacher Turnover and the Shortage of Teachers
Fuller, Ryan. Teaching Isn’t Rocket Science. It’s Harder.
Strauss, Valerie. Why It’s a Big Problem That So Many Teachers Quit – and What To Do About It.
Will, Madeline. From ‘Rotten Apples’ to Martyrs: America Has Changed Its Tune on Teachers.
October 6, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Education is one of the most noble professions. Educators taking pride in their vocation and spreading that enthusiasm needs to occur more often. As district and building leaders it is up to us to promote the incredible positives of being an educator and help others regain the sense of pride also. You have outlined some solid strategies to accomplish this. As leaders it is up to us to take care of teachers so they can take care of students.