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Teacher Working Conditions Affect Student Performance
My first year of teaching fifteen years ago was in a low-income school in a low-income school district. The only supplies in my closet were paper clips and ditto masters. My supply budget was $20. The student lockers were dented, some window panes were broken or missing, and my classroom ceiling leaked when it rained.
I don’t have to tell you that teachers didn’t stay long in that building. Everyone was looking for a school that had plenty of books for the students and a pleasant working environment with outlets that functioned and a photocopier with toner.
In a report from the National Academy of Education, the researchers found that, “All else being equal, the teacher turnover rate is higher in schools with lower salaries and poorer working conditions.”
The researchers also write that teacher retention is a huge concern for schools because teachers with experience are better teachers. They write that quality teaching isn’t just about a teacher’s knowledge base or teaching techniques: it’s also about the teaching environment. Happy teachers are better teachers.
Among the four recommendations in the report is one about teacher retention. The researchers believe that federal and state governments should try a wide range of strategies – like increased pay, mentoring, and opportunities for professional growth – to encourage effective teachers to stay in the classroom.
Researchers for the 2006 MetLife Survey of the American Teacher found that one in every 11 teachers is dissatisfied with teaching and that 25 percent of teachers want to leave teaching in the next five years.
The survey listed the factors that lead to job satisfaction for teachers. Here are a few:
• Teacher feels that his/her salary is fair for the work done.
• Teacher has enough time for planning and grading.
• School does not have problems with threats to teachers or staff by students.
• School does not have problems with disorderly student behavior.
• Teacher is treated as a professional by community.
• Teacher has adequate involvement in team building and problem-solving.
• Teacher has adequate ability to influence policies that affect him/her.
• Teacher has adequate time for classroom instruction.
What does this mean for us in the classroom? Just as students need a nurturing environment where they have a voice, feel safe, and have respect, so too, do teachers.
Often we talk about what’s best for students without regard to what’s best for teachers. These two goals aren’t mutually exclusive. Benefiting teachers and making them happy to come to work ultimately benefits the students, too. The researchers at the National Academy of Education concluded that high quality teachers need a higher social status, monetary incentives to stay in the field, good working conditions, and opportunities for meaningful professional development. Students, of course, need high quality teachers.
In a time when schools are slashing budgets and benefits, how can we keep morale up? We can support one another. According to the Metlife survey, new teachers are three times as likely to leave the profession if they feel like their colleagues don’t support them. We might be rushing to the copier before the first bell or setting up a lab, but making time for our fellow teachers is a change we can make today. We might not be able to solve our district’s budget crisis, but we can certainly improve the culture in our corner of the building.
References:
Markow, D., Moessner, C. and Horowitz, H. (2006.) The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Expectations and Experiences. A Survey of Teachers, Principals and Leaders of College Education Programs. MetLife, Inc. Accessed 11/11/2009, http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/29/e5/ac.pdf.
Wilson, S., ed. (2009) Teacher Quality Education Policy White Paper. National Academy of Education. Accessed 11/11/2009, http://www.naeducation.org/Teacher_Quality_White_Paper.pdf.
Topics
- Administration
- Adolescent Development
- Classroom Management
- English Language Learners
- Higher Education
- Learning Community
- Lesson Planning
- School Law
- School Safety
- Special Needs
- Student Motivation
- Teaching Strategies
- English Teaching Strategies
- Math Teaching Strategies
- Reading Teaching Strategies
- Science Teaching Strategies
- Social Studies Teaching Strategies
- Technology in the Classroom
Comments ↓
Guest
06.21.10 at 1:09 pm
Now that we know the factors that lead to job satisfaction for teachers, let’s give teachers a tool to voice their concerns. The Happy Teacher Campaign is designed to reduce teacher turnover, establish positive communication, encourage teacher friendly problem solving and create equal team communication that provides feedback to make positive changes for a better learning environment. After all happy teachers are better teachers.
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