Leaving the field of teaching
I love teaching people. I think it's the look on a student's face when they finally get the material that keeps me coming back. The flash of confidence and self-efficacy is worth all the struggle.
Then why do I want to leave the profession? That's simple. I don't like it. The "profession" of teaching is far removed from the "act" of teaching. It's kind of like saying, I love the water but I hate sailing. Sailing is complicated. There are ropes, rudders, and chores like scrubbing the deck and scraping barnacles that make sailing more tedious than simply swimming. On top of that, there are regulations that make sailing overly complicated. You have to go a certain speed and you have to stay in a certain lane and you have to check in and out of a harbor to make sure you don't have contraband on your ship. You get the idea.
I am becoming an administrator because I believe I can help teachers enjoy the profession again by throwing the useless and unimportant stuff overboard. I want to create an environment where teachers can enjoy the profession again.
I think teachers want a few simple things.
1. Autonomy
2. Support
3. Respect
4. Appreciation
I know there is more but that's the short list.
Autonomy
It seriously makes me scratch my head when I see how little lawmakers understand the concept of autonomy. I've read at least 100 leadership books and listened to more talks and lectures about the subject and autonomy is always on the "How to make your business better" list. Is there any question that teachers are treated like puppets rather than people? Standardized curriculum, standardized timelines, standardized tests and other soul sucking ideas have crushed teacher autonomy. It's pretty much dead. Would you stay in a profession where you were constantly told what to do and didn't have to think?
If you consider the economics of teaching it's easy to understand why teachers are upset. First, your paycheck doesn't reflect your ability and there's no reward for improvement. If you spend 10 hours in your classroom creating an amazing experience for your students you get paid the same as the guy that hands out the worksheet and then checks Facebook and leaves as soon as the day is done.
Teachers are mostly altruistic. They teach because the want to make a difference and money isn't their primary motivator. However, it's a factor in their success. A starting salary in my district is 35,000. Not bad if you're a kid out of college. After 13 years of teaching and two masters degrees you can expect to make 42,000. I'm not joking.
Support
Last week my wife grounded my daughter. She's a great kid but, as every parent knows, they need a little directions from time to time. Anyway, my daughter was upset and she came to me because there was a school activity she wasn't going to be able to attend if she was grounded. Imagine the state of my marriage if I would have said, "I think your mom may have over-reacted. Try not to do it again. You can go to your activity." Not only would I have been on the couch, I would have severely damaged the ability of my wife to be effective in her role as a mom.
When a highly skilled and generally effective teachers come to the end of their rope and sends a student to the office or call home, they need to know that they will be backed up. End of story. The teacher stands in the place of the parent in the classroom. That has been decided by the courts. Anytime administrators or parents try to pander to the student when discipline is necessary, it only damages the reputation and effectiveness of the teacher.
Respect
Teachers are blamed by everyone for the problems with student performance. Yet, teachers don't have the power or encouragement to improve their situation. If a teacher wanted to teach a math lesson out of sequence it would be frowned upon. The current handbook says, "A student should be able to move from one school to another and pick up with the same lesson with the same high quality instruction. First, that's impossible. Whoever wrote that is living in a fairy tale. If I was a respected professional I would be "allowed" to teach my subject in the way I saw fit to meet the needs of the students. Period.
It would be kind to say that respect from parents has dwindled. I have had outstanding experiences and I encourage them to take responsibility for their student's learning. They should be asking questions and allowing teachers to explain their activities in class. That keeps teachers accountable and helps them improve. However, it's not their place to blame their student's success or failure on the teacher alone. In the end parents are responsible for the education of their child. Period. Teachers should be respected as an integral part of their child's success but not the only part. Teachers can instill discipline, work ethic and all the other positive social values when they are supported and respected by the parents.
Appreciation
Again, I'll refer to my leadership training but also from experience. People like to be appreciated but more than that, they need that appreciation to stay motivated. I still have one of the cards I was given in appreciation because the student really meant it. Making a difference is hard. It means you have to challenge a student to step outside their comfort zone. A teacher challenges the reality of the student and then helps them to create a more full, more exact reality in it's place. That is not only difficult, it's exhausting. A little appreciation goes a long way.
I'm not talking about a general expression from the principal at the staff meeting. I'm talking about money, respect and autonomy. Expressions of appreciation are important but true appreciation is shown in our actions.
Then why do I want to leave the profession? That's simple. I don't like it. The "profession" of teaching is far removed from the "act" of teaching. It's kind of like saying, I love the water but I hate sailing. Sailing is complicated. There are ropes, rudders, and chores like scrubbing the deck and scraping barnacles that make sailing more tedious than simply swimming. On top of that, there are regulations that make sailing overly complicated. You have to go a certain speed and you have to stay in a certain lane and you have to check in and out of a harbor to make sure you don't have contraband on your ship. You get the idea.
I am becoming an administrator because I believe I can help teachers enjoy the profession again by throwing the useless and unimportant stuff overboard. I want to create an environment where teachers can enjoy the profession again.
I think teachers want a few simple things.
1. Autonomy
2. Support
3. Respect
4. Appreciation
I know there is more but that's the short list.
Autonomy
It seriously makes me scratch my head when I see how little lawmakers understand the concept of autonomy. I've read at least 100 leadership books and listened to more talks and lectures about the subject and autonomy is always on the "How to make your business better" list. Is there any question that teachers are treated like puppets rather than people? Standardized curriculum, standardized timelines, standardized tests and other soul sucking ideas have crushed teacher autonomy. It's pretty much dead. Would you stay in a profession where you were constantly told what to do and didn't have to think?
If you consider the economics of teaching it's easy to understand why teachers are upset. First, your paycheck doesn't reflect your ability and there's no reward for improvement. If you spend 10 hours in your classroom creating an amazing experience for your students you get paid the same as the guy that hands out the worksheet and then checks Facebook and leaves as soon as the day is done.
Teachers are mostly altruistic. They teach because the want to make a difference and money isn't their primary motivator. However, it's a factor in their success. A starting salary in my district is 35,000. Not bad if you're a kid out of college. After 13 years of teaching and two masters degrees you can expect to make 42,000. I'm not joking.
Support
Last week my wife grounded my daughter. She's a great kid but, as every parent knows, they need a little directions from time to time. Anyway, my daughter was upset and she came to me because there was a school activity she wasn't going to be able to attend if she was grounded. Imagine the state of my marriage if I would have said, "I think your mom may have over-reacted. Try not to do it again. You can go to your activity." Not only would I have been on the couch, I would have severely damaged the ability of my wife to be effective in her role as a mom.
When a highly skilled and generally effective teachers come to the end of their rope and sends a student to the office or call home, they need to know that they will be backed up. End of story. The teacher stands in the place of the parent in the classroom. That has been decided by the courts. Anytime administrators or parents try to pander to the student when discipline is necessary, it only damages the reputation and effectiveness of the teacher.
Respect
Teachers are blamed by everyone for the problems with student performance. Yet, teachers don't have the power or encouragement to improve their situation. If a teacher wanted to teach a math lesson out of sequence it would be frowned upon. The current handbook says, "A student should be able to move from one school to another and pick up with the same lesson with the same high quality instruction. First, that's impossible. Whoever wrote that is living in a fairy tale. If I was a respected professional I would be "allowed" to teach my subject in the way I saw fit to meet the needs of the students. Period.
It would be kind to say that respect from parents has dwindled. I have had outstanding experiences and I encourage them to take responsibility for their student's learning. They should be asking questions and allowing teachers to explain their activities in class. That keeps teachers accountable and helps them improve. However, it's not their place to blame their student's success or failure on the teacher alone. In the end parents are responsible for the education of their child. Period. Teachers should be respected as an integral part of their child's success but not the only part. Teachers can instill discipline, work ethic and all the other positive social values when they are supported and respected by the parents.
Appreciation
Again, I'll refer to my leadership training but also from experience. People like to be appreciated but more than that, they need that appreciation to stay motivated. I still have one of the cards I was given in appreciation because the student really meant it. Making a difference is hard. It means you have to challenge a student to step outside their comfort zone. A teacher challenges the reality of the student and then helps them to create a more full, more exact reality in it's place. That is not only difficult, it's exhausting. A little appreciation goes a long way.
I'm not talking about a general expression from the principal at the staff meeting. I'm talking about money, respect and autonomy. Expressions of appreciation are important but true appreciation is shown in our actions.
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