As I was strolling through Pintrest this morning I came across an interesting pin, it was a review of a book entitled "Why Great Teachers Quit". Well naturally this got my attention. Here is the major premise of the book:
eight primary reasons why great teachers quit:
- Standardized Testing (including effects on students and the school climate)
- Working Conditions in Today’s Schools (i.e. violence and small problems that add up, like not being able to use the bathroom)
- Ever-Higher Expectations (including useless professional development on new mandates)
- Bureaucracy (committees, closed budgets, and scheduling constraints)
- Respect and Compensation (the martyr system and paying for supplies)
- Parents (unrealistic demands and no limits)
- Administrators (the pressure cooker of principalship)
- School Boards (uses and abuses of power)\
I have to wholeheartedly agree with the list, and the website that gave the review noted something interesting about the list, or rather what is NOT on the list - STUDENTS. I find it oddly reassuring that what I am feeling is a very common theme among teachers, the outside stuff, the lack of control and ridiculous initiatives and testing and overbearing parents and unsupportive administration - those are all the reasons why I am so frustrated, it's not the kids. The kids are the only good thing left about teaching, and my frustration, the frustration of so many good teachers, is our inability to really help students. I know that I am good at teaching and reaching kids. I know that I can break down content into understandable chunks. I know that I have an engaging and interesting classroom. I know that I have excellent relationships with students. Despite all of that, I have very poor teacher evaluation scores and I am miserable at my job. What a sad situation to be in, but I do know that I am not alone. I have very real fears for the future of education. I do anticipate a great exodus from teaching - I think the really good teachers, the smart ones, the ones who care deeply, I fear they will get fed up and leave the profession and we will be stuck with a shortage of good teachers. If this book is any indication - I am not alone in this fear
Sad story for great teachers. We need more of them.
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