IF PD doesn't include some TLC, then schools have the wrong focus for getting the best from their teachers. Inspirational, Affirmational, Transformational
We spend 50% more hours in school than Finland. They get 15 mins of recess every hour. They have NO standardized tests except for PISA in HS and they outperform us every time. When we canβt give students more recess, physical activity & Arts then we donβt understand education.
Georgia is suspending standardized testing for the upcoming school year & formal teacher evals and are seeking to permanently cut certain tests. This will also save $10's of millions from the budget that can be used toward teacher pay, etc. Let's hope other states step up!
I think teacher evaluations right now should focus on the following questions:
How are you doing?
Are you taking care of yourself?
How is your family?
How can I best support you right now?
My cousinβs final request at her funeral was Backpacks full of supplies for needy students instead of flowers. A teacher to the end.
@TeachersNet
@edutopia
@EdWeekTeacher
Teachers plates can take no more. They currently have five jobs. Teacher, curriculum developer, IT for students, therapist for parents struggling, & office worker. All while trying to survive the pandemic w/ their family too. Letβs all give teachers grace & support right now.
26 million people work from home at least part time and we think itβs being savvy. 3 million Teachers have to do it during a pandemic and people want their pay cut since they think theyβre not working. Teachers sure do put up with a lot of crap just to educate our youth.
Teacher retention: if you want to keep the best teachers, treat them like they are the best. Few teachers leave an environment where they feel valued, supported, appreciated, and treated like professionals.
Over 90% of Finnish teachers remain in education for entirety of career. We donβt have 90% make it through one year. They also teach 50% less hours with remainder for planning, multiple recesses, autonomy at school level, limited teacher eval's & are treated like professionals!
Instead of expecting teachers to plan "online schooling" for the next two weeks or more can we just STOP! They have families ( siblings, spouses, children, parents) that need their attention too and to take care of themselves. ENOUGH!
School districts, for the most part, letβs remember that this isnβt homeschooling, or online school, this is making the best of a bad situation in the middle of a crisis. That should be what drives decisions.
Finland's school day is ~ 5hours, with an hour of recess included. Wouldn't it be great if we moved more to that model, especially with all the recommendations/ limitations placed on the classroom this fall. Students should NOT sit in a classroom for 7+ hours.
Teachers don't leave because it's hard. Teachers are some of the hardest working professionals I know. They leave because the amount of work no longer is comparable to pay, respect, and value that they deserve for the workload.
Pro sports are suspended & not one person asking athletes to justify their millions during shutdown. Meanwhile teachers w/ kids at home are expected to sit in front of a video chatroom 14 hrs a day teaching & taking attendance or people lose their minds about them getting paid!
We spend 50% more hours in school than Finland. And they get 15 mins of recess every hour. They have NO standardized tests except for PISA in HS and they outperform us every time. If we canβt give students more movement, recess, and play time then we donβt understand education.
It would be ashamed if education comes out of this pandemic only to return to status quo. There hasn't been an opportunity for such sweeping changes in education for the last half century.
Less testing
More adaptability
Improved family/school partnership
Let kids learn like kids
I love the districts who are putting teachers first. They are not micromanaging them. Trusting them to reach out to their students & letting them take care of their own families first & checking in on their health. These districts rock & your teachers love you for it & so do I!
Not all teachers desire to leave the classroom & move into admin! But, they may desire more leadership within the school. We need a model shift in education where great talent is not promoted away, but given more pay/responsibility in the school! Creating a dynamic school culture
Just because some teachers would rather stay in the classroom than go into administration doesnβt mean they arenβt leaders. Many have amazing talents which can benefit a school by placing them in situations to use those talents. Honor their choice, dedication, & professionalism.
Teachers, please don't do these 5 things this year:
* take away recess as a punishment
* use silent lunch on whole group
* make students go more than an 1- 1 1/2 hr without a break
or physical activity
* take students misbehavior personally
* give up on your students
Standardized tests have no place in elementary education. Because testing becomes the focus of education instead of learning. We take away the fun and excitement of learning, playing, exploring, & creating. We create test takers instead of problem solvers and innovators.
If Mr Rogers and Bill Nye understood the need to limit their productions to 30 mins, shouldn't school districts know that virtual classes should as well? Just ask your teachers how focused and engaged they are feeling after an hour on a zoom meeting?
Teachers don't leave because it's hard. Teachers are some of the hardest working professionals I know. They leave because the expectations become more unrealistic every year.
Teacher retention: if you want to keep the best teachers, treat them like they are the best. Few teachers leave an environment where they feel valued, supported, appreciated, and treated like professionals. This is more important now than ever!
Saw a reply from someone on a post that basically said the bulk of education is built on the back of unpaid time of teachers. That should make every school board pause.
If school districts would take time to ask teachers, if you were to think about leaving, what would it take for you to stay. They would quickly find what they need to focus on to improve teachers working conditions.
I hope schools keep in mind that most students haven't seen their classmates in 6 months. Don't punish kids for being kids when they get back in the classroom. They will want to talk, ,laugh, play, share experiences. Hopefully schools are making adjustments for this to happen.
Teachers, want to take something off your plate? Put HW in the trash. Especially for elementary, let students go home, run, play, and enjoy being a child. And read a little after playing. Then they come to school recharged instead of stressed out and you will too!
Please don't remove students from physical education, music, Arts, or other classes to remediate them in other areas. These classes are just as important for overall education and may be their favorite classes and one reason they like school.
If school openings are for the economy to open back up, then corporations should help fund needs and resources for schools. Iβm tired of teachers having to beg and fund raise to do their job. Especially now!
Effective teachers don't focus so much on rules, but more on relationships, routines, & expectations. If you focus mainly on rules, you will spend most of the year enforcing them. But if you focus on relationships, routines, & expectations, you rarely have to defer back to rules.
Teachers plates are still overflowing. They still have at least five jobs. Teacher, curriculum developer, IT for students, therapist for parents struggling, & office worker. All while trying to take care of their family too. They need grace & support now more than ever.
Our students need more recess, unstructured play, Physical Education, all the Arts, and extracurricular activities! That's how we make their social/emotional health a priority.
Teachers don't leave because it's hard. Teachers are some of the hardest working professionals I know. They leave because the amount of work no longer is comparable to pay, respect, support, and value that they deserve for the workload.
Elementary kids shouldnβt have more than an hour or two of work per day. Thatβs it. Thatβs all they need. Many miss teachers. Some are scared & anxious. & they just want their parents to be parents right & not feel like they have to be the education warden. Focus on play & family
Elementary students should not be taking standardized tests because testing becomes the focus of education instead of learning. We take away their creative genius and excitement of learning, playing, & creating. We develop test takers instead of problem solvers and innovators.
Teachers shouldn't have to cover classes, give up planning time, work 20 extra hours a week, take on extra tasks, etc. just to be considered an effective teacher or all in. Teachers give above and beyond already without it becoming the expectation. It's why so many are burned out
Dear Education, please don't over-complicate this situation. Let teachers offer some enrichment,encourage students to read, & check in on their students! Then let them take care of their own families, elderly parents, food shortages, etc. Don't make us look worse than politicians
The best teacher I knew had a game where any adult entered her room(staff, admin, parent) had to answer a question. The students loved this because she would ask tough questions based on the lesson & they often knew the answer when the adults didnβt. Fun outside the box teaching!
Teacher retention: if you want to keep the best teachers, treat them like they are the best. Few teachers leave an environment where they feel valued, supported, appreciated, and treated like professionals. This is more important now than ever!
Teacher effectiveness is not greatly improved by curriculum, new programs, or initiatives. But, when teachers are respected, valued, supported, & feel like their talents are utilized, then morale increases, job engagement soars, & students benefit too!
Teachers have never asked or expected to be called heroes, superheroes, etc. because they know its just empty hyperbole, however, they would love to be treated with respect and like professionals.
Itβs not just students who need Maslow. Teachers need:
1) feel safe / supported
2) emotional connection/ relationships
3) feel respected
4) attention/ appreciation
5) value within the team
6) Volition/ autonomy
7) innovation/ creativity
8) self care
Teachers, never let family time be shortchanged. If something happened to you, they would replace you fairly quickly at school but you're irreplaceable at home.
Besides the many issues with standardized testing. Most students have no idea what they missed on the tests and teachers don't either. And by time they get results students have moved on to next grade. So how is this really important data?
We teach students about boundaries, but few boundaries are given to teachers.Teachers canβt be expected to be available 24/7 for meetings, calls, emails etc. even if theyβre teaching remotely. This type of expectations shows a lack of concern for their mental & emotional health.
Teachers rarely quit because of students. And they may give different reasons why they leave, but its almost always leadership and/or unrealistic work load.
Please Respect Teachers time. Theyβre not available 24/7 & they should not be expected to attend meetings online w/o adequate notice. Especially early morning or evening. Remember they have families & many have children theyβre trying to teach & keep healthy in a pandemic.
I heard a parent complain because a teacher was at the store during the day. When are they supposed to go since most stores close early now? and as I have said before this is not traditional school moved online! Teachers are humans trying to take care of families too!
I never had teachers sign in/out. All I asked was that they were at their door to greet students in morning & didnβt rear-end buses leaving in the afternoon. π I know the hours teachers put in & wasnβt going to micromanage professionals. The rare issue was addressed individually
Effective teachers don't focus so much on rules, but more on relationships, routines, & expectations. If you focus mainly on rules, you will spend most of the year enforcing them. But if you focus on relationships, routines, & expectations, you rarely have to defer back to rules.
Districts or schools that remove students from physical education, music, Arts, or other classes to remediate them in other areas, have no idea of the immediate and long term damage they are doing to these students. These may be classes that help them love school.
Schools, remember this is not the new normal. This is just surviving a crisis. You donβt build a new home in a storm, you weather the storm and then regroup once itβs over.
Just because some teachers would rather stay in the classroom than go into administration doesnβt mean they arenβt leaders. Many have amazing talents which can benefit a school by placing them in situations to use those talents. Honor their choice, dedication, & professionalism.
For teachers to be βAll Inβ in 2023 doesnβt mean they have to be at school til 7 every night. Doesnβt mean they need to take school work home with them every night. Doesnβt mean they need to work every weekend w/ planning or grading. This isnβt All In, this is Burned Out.
Teaching may be the toughest job, but principal may be the loneliest job. They're in a constant tug of war between mandates, directives, & expectations of the district and the needs & support for teachers. Its important for superintendents & teachers to recognize & show support.
Superintendents, whether school is in person or online, focus on staff morale. The adjustments/transitions over the past few months & now this fall are incredible. And donβt just focus on morale but their mental & emotional health too. Teachers need to feel safe and supported.
The one thing we forget is that students arenβt in the physical classroom. Schools are closed. Theyβre home. They arenβt prepared for virtual school or homeschool. The parents arenβt prepared either. We arenβt just shifting the location of school. Education has been interrupted.
Teachers, Sick days aren't just for physical aliment. when you feel like you're about to crash and burnout, take a mental health day! the school won't close and the world won't end.
Elementary students should not be taking standardized tests. Because testing becomes the focus of education instead of learning. We take away the fun and excitement of learning, playing, exploring, & creating. We create test takers instead of problem solvers and innovators.
The Arts, PE, recess and play arenβt just important for students to grow emotionally, socially, & academically, but they may be the main reason that some students enjoy coming to school.
If students aren't in school, then teachers should be able to teach from home. 42% of people work from home, yet teachers are expected to go to an empty school to teach? School districts, trust your professionals!
Besides the many issues with standardized testing. Most students have no idea what they missed on the tests and teachers don't either. And by time they get results students have moved on to next grade. Making it useless to evaluate teachers & districts too.
We spend 50% more hours in school than Finland. They get 15 mins of recess every hour. They have NO standardized tests except for PISA in HS and they outperform us every time. Ironically, in the 1970's, they modeled their education based on US schools and US university research.
Our students need recess, unstructured play, physical education, all the Arts, and their extracurricular activities! That's how we make their social/emotional health a priority.
Education is not teacher centered or even student centered, but it is relationship centered. Teachers thrive w/ positive admin relationships & students thrive w/ positive teacher relationships. Relationships drive education.
Just because some teachers would rather stay in the classroom than go into administration doesnβt mean they arenβt leaders. Many have amazing talents which can benefit a school.Good leaders value them as experts and help maximize their talents and potential.
Teachers, don't feel bad if you don't have special videos or lessons online like others may have. This isn't America's got talent or a competition. Just con't to check on your students & families & do your best to meet their educational needs. That's all that matters.
If a 2nd grade word problem on a standardized test is written at a 3rd or 4th grade reading level, then you arenβt testing for math, youβre testing for above grade level reading.
You can walk in 5 different classrooms and see 5 different teachers connecting with students in 5 different ways. Every teacher has their own talents and strengths which make them amazing. They don't need one size fits all pd or evals to be amazing. Good leaders know this!
Principals, itβs ok to include a couple of more jeans days next year! Make them spirit days if it makes you feel better. The world wonβt end, the students wonβt riot, and parents arenβt going to think any less of the teachers. But your teachers will appreciate it and you!
Teacher retention: if you want to keep the best teachers, treat them like they are the best. Few teachers leave an environment where they feel valued, supported, appreciated, and treated like professionals.
Education has always seemed to be focused on fixing teachers. Teachers donβt need to be fixed but they do need to be supported, encouraged, & appreciated. Thank you to all the leaders who do!
The teacher shortages being reported around the country are staggering. If there has ever been a time for school boards, districts, and administrators to take care of teachers and staff, it is NOW. Remember, Morale reflects leadership.
Some leaders think students are priority over teachers, & I get the sentiment, but how much time do they spend w/ students & how well do you know them? Teachers spend all day w/them & know them well. Teachers make students a priority. Take care of teachers; they take care of kids
Unless school districts have functioning online school options already in place, expecting teachers to develop a system on the fly in a short time makes no sense. Not to mention most of the work will not count for a million reasons. Meaning the time invested by teachers wasted.
We spend 50% more hours in school than Finland. They get 15 mins of recess every hour. They have NO standardized tests until the PISA in HS & they outperform us every time. When we canβt give students more recess, play, or Arts, but make them sit longer hours, we have it wrong!
I wish the public understood the amount of work teachers put into their jobs. That they don't get paid for summers & holidays or the all the extra hours they work. & the love they have for their kids. School districts & DOE should do a better job of telling their story!
Teachers shouldn't have to cover classes, give up planning time, work 20 extra hours a week, do extra tasks, etc. just to be considered effective or all in. Teachers give above and beyond already without it becoming the expectation. It's why there is a huge teacher shortage!
Finland has no standardized testing, no formal teacher evals, and 15 mins of recess every hour. Oh, and Finland has been voted the Happiest Country in World for 5 years in a row. I know that would make me happy too!
There's no state mandated testing. This doesn't mean we overload younger students to the point that they and/or parents are stressed out. It's not about outdoing others virtually.
Relationships before Rigor
Grace before Grades
Patience before Programs
Love before Lessons
Principal turnover is 3 to 5 years. It costs ~ $75,000 for each turnover & culture suffers. It takes 3-5 years for principals to have influence on school culture. So, why not hire a principal for a minimum of 5 years & provide effective mentoring for them to succeed.
@AASAHQ
There are teachers who are strong, outspoken, highly motivated, and who like to take ideas and run with them or speak up when things arenβt working. Some admin are Intimidated by such teachers, but effective admin embrace them for the leaders that they are.
Education is not teacher centered, or student centered, but it is relationship centered. And what makes it even more special is that you aren't just their teacher for a year, but for the rest of their lives!