Instructional methods are not needed to solve the problem of
teacher attrition. Non-instructional
solutions might include increased salaries for all teachers, decreased class
size, team building and additional support structures, assistance with lesson
planning, and an increase in school supply and technology budgets.
Performance support systems assist workers by providing them
with critical knowledge regardless of their situation or previous experience
with the subject. For my problem of
teacher attrition, performance support systems would include lesson plan
databases, FAQs about problems encountered by first year teachers, or message
boards to provide networked support for teachers struggling with a specific
problem. Our district provides first
year teachers with a mentor teacher so the first year teacher has an
experienced teacher to help them with any problem they might encounter in the
classroom or as a new employee of the district.
School districts could help retain teachers by providing
information about expectations for the coming years and how the district will
address teacher concerns. I believe part
of the frustration for all teachers (not just first year teachers) is the
continual expectation that teachers must do more with less for more kids. Districts should share expected enrollment
increases as well as plans regarding school budget and classroom use with
teachers to alleviate worry and increase trust between administrators and
teachers. Teachers should be invited to
a school board meeting to discuss their concerns, express their frustrations
and voice possible solutions. The school
board should then consider, address and attempt to alleviate the most pressing
of these issues. As a district, we
share a common goal: to educate kids.
Knowledge management could be used to facilitate a team spirit and
cooperative atmosphere that will encourage teachers to remain with a district
and share the long term vision of administrators.
I learn informally from my co-workers every day. Perhaps it is because I am a new teacher, but
not new to my district, but I am comfortable asking for help and opinions of
others. I have asked the Spanish teacher
across the hall how he plays vocabulary games with his students. I have asked the Physics teacher how he keeps
his kids engaged and interested. I have
shared my attempts at worksheets and tests with my mentor to see how I could
improve on them. I have asked students
their opinion on an assignment we did in class and how I could make it better. I would consider all of these interactions as
informal learning experiences. I am not
sure how this knowledge could be codified or managed expect to say it has
increased my peace of mind and has improved my skills as a new teacher. I think those informal experiences will be
handed down to others as my knowledge and experience grows. I hope to one day be a mentor and share the
knowledge I have gained and increase the peace of mind of another new teacher.
Hello.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher attrition rate has been a topic of discussion for a long time in this field. It seems that education does not value education. Those who come in with a passion for the job leave with a bad taste in their mouths. Fortunately most will almost always say it is not the students but the politics or even the school administration that was the issue. I agree. I have been teaching for seven years so I have developed my own way to deal with the politics behind the job. I simply focus on educating my students. Data speaks for itself. Not just the STAAR data. But also the data from students who graduate and go on to be successful. I think school districts you value their employees more. This means being supportive and in some instances compensating more especially since majority of teachers go beyond the call of duty. Having those support systems in place helps teachers who are new to the field. I felt good coming in knowing that I had a team of people who were supporting me and pushing me.
I found your statistic regarding the teacher attrition rate fascinating and depressing all at once. What most stood out to me is your recommendations for turning this trend around.
ReplyDelete"Non-instructional solutions might include increased salaries for all teachers, decreased class size, team building and additional support structures, assistance with lesson planning, and an increase in school supply and technology budgets."
My experience has been that there is one main culprit in the teacher burnout cases I have seen, high-stakes testing. I feel like testing reform is a big piece of the puzzle that is missing from your plan. The industrialized approach that government agencies have forced on districts is misguided and harmful. Teacher are a resilient group, but if it is one thing we cannot stand for, it is harming students. I believe that this is exactly what high-stakes testing does.