Melissa Martinez
Final Project
July 2, 2012
Happy Teachers = Successful Students
Abstract:
This paper will discuss the problems that teachers face and how these problems are affecting student achievement. It will also explore different way to potentially solve this problem so that all will benefit.
Problem:
One question that is often asked of teachers is why did they decide to go into teaching? Many teachers may respond by talking about the joy of learning, the kids, or the ability to make a difference. Lately though with the high demands put on educating our children, many teachers may be second guessing their choice of profession. According to a recent MetLife survey (2012) teacher job satisfaction is at 44%, the lowest it has been in 20 years. NCTAF (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future) reported that one third of new teachers leave the profession in the first five years. The big question is why? There are many factors that contribute to the decline that is being seen in education such as low pay, lack of respect, unrealistic expectations, and no support from administrators or parents. The context of this problem affects students the most. With many teachers leaving the profession or those who stay have low morale the excitement and enthusiasm that is important to learning is left out. In turn students lack the desire to be at school and scores slowly start to decline.
Research:
When researching why this problem is significant in our country I came across may interesting articles on how other countries view teaching as a profession. Shupe (2012) writes that many countries require their teachers to have three-four years of quality training which the government pays for. In these countries teachers are held to a high-esteem and our paid accordingly and are given freedom to develop curriculum and lessons. They also spend a good deal with mentors their first years to help them develop and grow. Many of these practices are in complete opposite of what is done in the United States. Teachers here are expected to follow mandated curriculum set by the district or the state with very little freedom to work outside of that curriculum. Many states have had to freeze pay which means many teachers are making the same salary they were 5 years ago yet receive the same education as other higher paid occupations. Also, with the state of our economy many teachers have to use their own money to help supplement supplies in the classroom since parents are struggling as well. To make education work in today’s society money needs to be spent.
The pressure to make sure that students perform to a proficient level has become a stress factor for many educators. Teachers lack the time and the materials to teach what students need to know so they use a lot of drill and kill methods. For the students this means the lack of creativity in the classroom and missing the opportunity to explore what they are interested in. It is also creates a double bind for teachers when they have taught a lesson and have students who have not mastered the current skill, and students that have. If they focus on remediation for those who struggle, those who have mastered it are left behind or with work that is not productive. If they move on, those who struggle fall further behind. The simple answer to this dilemma would be to end standardized testing and allow teachers to foster critical thinking by the means of projects.
Another issue facing teacher morale and student achievement is poor administrative leadership. When the leadership is poor in a school there is no sense of community. There may be a lack of consistency with regards to the staff and the students. In Rowland’s (2008) study on leadership and teacher morale, his findings indicated that while principals may not be in the classroom, their influence on teacher morale, indirectly affects student test scores. Rowland (2008) also mentions how principals need to self-assess their practice and how they help or hurt the teacher morale. Teachers need to feel that they are being listened to and heard by their administrators and that they are part of the decision making process.
Parental involvement or the lack of can also bring down teacher morale. Parents who are actively involved in their child’s education and set expectations for their children help encourage what is being done at school. Communication is the key to keeping this relationship open and building trust. According to Pomerantz, Moorman and Litwack (2007) there are two main types of parental involvement, school-based and home based. School based involves parents having an active part at the school. When parents are willing to volunteer and support teachers and their decisions it shows that they are working as a team and not against each other. This type of involvement tends to be more predominant in schools with higher socioeconomic status. Home based involvement is when parents are involved in school practices at home such as helping kids with projects, homework, or taking them on educational outings. Both types of involvement can be equally successful in boosting student achievement.
The last item that can affect teacher morale is the lack of time to collaborate with others in their grade level and in the district. Collaboration can benefit teachers by giving them the time to share their projects and ideas with others. They can discuss what works in the classroom or what doesn’t work. They can plan together and create projects that will foster critical thinking and creativity. To make this an important aspect of community building, many schools have started implementing professional learning communities. Professional Learning Communities give both educators and administrators the opportunity to seek out answers and to improve their school. Current research has shown that there are many benefits for teachers such as no longer feeling alone, shared responsibility for student success, and increased commitment to the school goals Professional Learning Communities, 2009). Dufor (2012) mentions in his article that when schools become involved in PLC’s their focus moves on from just teaching to ensuring that students learn. They work together to help students who are falling behind in a timely manner by ensuring that intervention strategies are in place and followed by the whole school.
During my research, I realized that there are many solutions that can aid in fixing teacher morale. Some of them are easily done by the teacher themselves, such as encouraging parents to be a partner in their child’s education. Other items can also be done by the school or district level. These things might include having a yearly survey asking teachers about what is important to them or what might need tweaking or changing, or having teacher input into curriculum changes, as well as providing professional development and collaborations with others. There are certain items though that can only be addressed as a nation such as teacher salaries and testing. By encouraging other teachers and parents to get involved to change education, we may eventually be able to climb back to up to the top.
References:
Dufour, R. (2004). What is a “professional learning community”? Educational Leadership, 61(8), 6–11.
Macneil, A. J., Prater, D. L., & Busch, S. (2009). The effects of school culture and climate on student achievement. International Journal of Leadership in Education , 73-84.
MetLife, Inc. . (2012). Teachers, Parents, and the Economy.
Pomerants, E. M., Moorman, E. A., & Litwack, S. D. (2007). The How, Whom, and Why of Parent's Involvement in Children's Academic Lives: More is Not Always Better. Review of Education Research, 373-4110.
Professional Learning Communities. (2009). Retrieved 6 21, 2012, from The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement: http://www.centerforcsri.org/plc/index.html
Rowland, K.A.( 2008). The relationship of principal leadership and teacher morale. Dissertation Abstracts, International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences 69(2-A): 462.
Shupe, S. S. (2010, December 11). How Do Successful School Systems Treat Teachers? Retrieved June 30, 2012, from Huffington Post.Com: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sabrina-stevens-shupe/successful-schools-treat-teachers_b_793559.html