"Why I Left Teaching Behind" --by Sarah Fine, Washington Post

[Connie Weber]

"Why I Left Teaching Behind" --by Sarah Fine, in the Washington Post

from the article:

"In 2005, the year I started teaching, nearly a third of new teachers in the District of Columbia were recent college graduates who had enrolled in Teach for America or the D.C. Teaching Fellows program. Statistics suggest that many of these recruits have already moved on. Nationally, half of all new teachers leave the profession within five years, and in urban schools, especially the much-lauded "no excuses" charter schools, turnover is often much higher. (boldface, CW's)

***

But there is more to those numbers than "burnout." That term is shorthand for a suite of factors that contributed to my choice to leave the classroom. When I talk about the long hours, for example, what I mean is that, over the course of four years, my school's administration steadily expanded the workload and workday while barely adjusting salaries. More and more major decisions were made behind closed doors, and more and more teachers felt micromanaged rather than supported. One afternoon this spring, when my often apathetic 10th-graders were walking eagerly around the room as part of a writing assignment, an administrator came in and ordered me to get the class "seated and silent." It took everything I had to hold back my tears of frustration.

***

"In their book 'Millennials Rising: the Next Great Generation,' sociologists Neil Howe and William Strauss characterize the members of my generation as "engaged," "upbeat" and "achievement-oriented." This is why we become teachers. We seek to challenge ourselves, and we excel at pursuing our goals. Howe and Strauss go so far as to call us a "hero generation." Our engagement also explains why we are leaving the classroom. We are not used to feeling consistently defeated and systemically undervalued."

***

"Having a base of teachers who teach for more than a token few years is critical to school reform. It helps principals and school leaders develop trusting relationships with teachers. It helps teachers collaborate with one another. Most of all, it helps students. A teacher with experience is not always a good teacher, but a good teacher is always better after a few years of experience. As my former principal not-so-subtly put it: "The kids don't need one-year wonders. There is no such thing as a one-year wonder."

Four-year wonders are better than nothing, but still not enough."




--much to talk about here. I'd like to open up forums on Fireside to ask people why they left teaching, or are considering doing so. I'd like to get discussions going about what keeps people in the profession. So much to do, to repair and revitalize our profession.

--ed profs on the site, what are you seeing with regard to this? How does it make you feel, to know that so many teachers you're educating are not likely to be in the field very long?

--others, what's your take on this? Have any good references to share? What's going on?

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Connie, I had a range of reactions to this article when I read it yesterday, most of them not very positive - and here's why: my impression is that the author, like so many college students, managed to complete 16 years of formal education with very little META-awareness of the educational process itself.

Not that it is her fault; I would hold her professors accountable for the problem. Even though college is an educational enterprise, hardly any professors ever practice "transparent pedagogy" - and that is a darn shame, since so many college students do end up going into the teaching profession, even if that is not something they plan on from the start.

I try to be very transparent with my students about my pedagogy, explaining why I do things the way I do, what my goals are as a teacher, what things I've tried in the past that have failed, what new experiments I am trying this semester, and soliciting their feedback on these things all the time.

I also try to get my students to be more self-aware of their own educational journey as students. Instead of the relentless drive to get the final grade, I would like for them to see the semester as a process that unfolds, week by week, day by day, and to get them to be more aware of that process, thinking about works for them as students, what doesn't work for them as students, etc. The more self-aware a student can be about their own learning, the more insightful they will be as teachers (it seems to me).

In general, though, college is NOT focused on the process of learning and teaching and education. Instead, it is focused on content (i.e. focused on organic chemistry, NOT on the question of "how do we learn about organic chemistry?" or "what are the many ways we could approach this topic, and how will we choose the best way for us?"), and it is very goal-oriented (i.e. GRADES), with almost no attention to process.

As a result, even though college students seem like they would make good teachers, that is often not the case at all. It seems to me that universities are persistently UN-self-aware about the profession of teaching, and students suffer from that lack of awareness. They go into teaching without a sense of the huge range of strategies, possibilities and options available to them, and as a result, they are prone to frustration, burnout, confusion, even hopelessness.

That's my take on the article anyway. My main impression was that even though this woman went to a top-flight college, she entered into the teaching profession without a really wide range of opportunities and options to keep on exploring, despite the frustrations she faced.

I face frustrations ALL the time (I am even intensely frustrated at times). But I am also excited about what I do ALL the time. That is because the range of my options always exceeds the scope of my frustration. Without any real effort on my part, the frustrations turn instantly into challenges which allow me to reach into my bag of tricks and try something new.

When that ceases to be true (as I see it is for so many of my colleagues), I will indeed seek some other kind of job. And that would be a sad day indeed for me, since I really do love to teach. :-)

[Laura Gibbs]

Someone Twittered about this article again today, and it prompted me to re-read it... and my reaction was still largely the same: if we let the organizational DISASTER that is education today keep us from teaching, our society is in big trouble (see Ian's discussion from this morning, too)... so yes, my school drives me crazy. My school's curriculum, its focus on grades, its lack of REAL commitment to quality, etc. etc. is in a sense the biggest obstacle to my students' education - but I cannot let that stop me from teaching.

I didn't get into teaching for the money or social status... I got into it because I cannot really imagine doing anything else! And while my university does drive me crazy (and I drive them crazy, too, ha ha), I consider that a challenge: if I can find a way to do a good job of teaching DESPITE the educational institution that I work for, well, then I count that as a success.

When I am no longer able to do a good job teaching (whether that is through my own fault or through the fault of my school's policies, or both), then I will have to find something else.

But for right now, I am glad my sneakiness is allowing me to manage to do a good enough of a job each semester that this seems worthwhile to me! :-)

[Erin Ogden]

I think this article perfectly expresses what I fear most about entering into the teaching profession. I've wanted to become a teacher for a long time now, but have hesitated at various points for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons were personal and had nothing to do with the profession in part or in whole, but in more recent years I've definitely been afraid of what working for our current education system will be like--will it turn out that as much as I love teaching, I will find that I simply am not cut out to last in a system like the one we have? After all, I am a member of the generation in question in this article, and I can say that as disturbing as the description of us can be, it pretty much fits.

But what ultimately made me decide to ignore those fears for now, and face them head-on when the time comes, is exactly what was said in that last paragraph:

"Having a base of teachers who teach for more than a token few years is critical to school reform. It helps principals and school leaders develop trusting relationships with teachers. It helps teachers collaborate with one another. Most of all, it helps students."

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Erin! For me the deciding factor has always been the students - it helps students. Even though I've experienced HUGE professional frustrations as a teacher (with the institutions I work for, with the educational enterprise as a whole, with my colleagues, etc. etc. etc.), I've always felt like that core goal - helping students learn - makes all the difference.

If you are someone who really wants to teach, it's hard to find anything that can replace the satisfaction of teaching students. I've tried other jobs but always came back to teaching, and I can't imagine doing anything else.

Did you ever take a Myers-Briggs inventory? It's something that convinced me I am destined to teach. I've been amazed at the number of teachers I've met who are ENFJs, as I am. I was already sure that I was going to teach when I got introduced to Myers-Briggs by one of the most dedicated teachers I ever knew. You might give it a whirl and see what comes up for you if you've not done it before. I found it very enlightening. We had a discussion here at Fireside about the related enneagram, too. Intriguing stuff as you plan a career...

:-)

[Erin Ogden]

It is encouraging to hear that you've been able to move past all the frustrations as a teacher--those are what gave me pause. I think it's just been that I keep coming back to teaching in one form or another that's really solidified that for me.

I have taken the Myers-Briggs test so many times I practically have it memorized--LOL. The first time I had to take it was when I was 15, at school, then again for a couple of different professors in undergrad, for the career counselors at my undergrad school, for two employers, when I was in business school, and again for another professor here. I'm an INFP, by the way, a sure sign that business school was NOT the place for me! LOL

I did go and look through much of the Enneagram links from the thread you mentioned, and found the information very useful, especially with regards to finding a place in a team. Typically I find my tendency towards "catalyst" behaviors to be irritating and unwelcome by those around me, and it's always a struggle to figure out how to balance my own personality with the needs of those around me.

[Or-Tal Kiriati]

Glad Erin and Laura just added their comments here. Got my attention.
What the article describes corresponds with my experience with my kids - ages 7-15 - as their mother and what they bring in from school.
However, things in Israel are often different.
While some teachers did (still do) chose to become teachers because of their passion to teach, many teachers became teachers because it was the easiest option around. An excellent profession for the working mom - you get to work short days, you get to be on a school vacation when your kids are on vacation... The studies, to get your teaching diploma and/or degree isn't too tough. I haven't been in touch with many of my high school classmates, but I know that 2 of the worst students in my class became teachers. When I met one of them the other day she admitted that it was never her intention to become a teacher, but she wanted to get a profession quickly, and one that would allow her to be home for the kids, while her husband pursuits his medical career.

Over the years, various ministers of education, have tried to do things to improve education here. But there was no one methodical plan followed. Teachers are well organized - there are 2 teachers unions here - and when ever anyone talks about more work hours or taking on any extra requirement (like connecting to the internet or reading email, for example) - the unions are against it. Or, if you want to demand anything else from a teacher - add to the salary.

As the teacher's salaries are pretty low this is not unreasonable demand. If you calculate the salary per hour spent in a place of work - it's not a bad salary. After all, there are about 4 months vacation days each year, and most teachers work half a day - 08:00-13:00 or 14:00. While in other professions people get 2 weeks yearly vacation and are required to work 9 hours a day (at least).
But the unions reject this comparison, saying that this is the teaching profession, and while this is someone's job - the someone needs to bring home a decent salary.

Otherwise - they'd leave.

So people who do leave - often leave when they think they can get a better paying job.
People who don't - often remain because of the convenience, but remain unhappy - that's never a good thing.

But the other interesting movement - is the other way around. As the unemployment rates grew - the government has initiated several programs to "convert" hi-tech professionals to the teaching professions. The most needed are English teachers and science teachers. That's a good initiative, but many are afraid that once the markets get stronger - all of those new teachers will abandon and go back to their previous careers.

(TBC)

[Mike]

Hi All... hope this finds everyone well as here we move quickly toward the heart of Fall.

Fall... in the tradition i know is the "looks with-in place" and as i read the article, listened to the responces, watch my kids and reflect on my life i wonder about what it is we eventually choose to do with our lives and what messages our schools and cultures send to all of us!!

So often these deeper questions remain hidden in our worlds... and so often the answers remain on the surface of our lives.....centering many times on ecconomic reality...or internalized vocies of mom or dad or schools or our cultures in general.

Rarely if ever is there much discussion or thought concerning a ..
Career verus a Vocation.

Freud... and i have a few issues with him :)...wrote that two really decent requisites for a good life center around.....WORK AND LOVE ..and surely he had to be speaking of the "right work" as well as the "right love".

Wonder where these deeper discussions are held as we seem hell bent on getting kids narrowly defined into the "right career"??

My take.....we can choose our careers but we do not choose our vocation...our vocation chooses us.

Socrates in dialog with Crito....spoke of this 26 centuries ago......

" Citizens of athens, aren't you ashamed to care so much about making all the money you can in advancing your reputation and prestige, while for truth and wisdom and the improvements of your souls you have no thought or care? "

Some of my notes from the work of Bill Plokin: I think they may fit here :)

…To be human
is to become visible
while carrying
what is hidden
as a gift to others…
— David Whyte

The gift you carry for others is not an attempt to save the world but to fully belong to it. It's not possible to save the world by trying to save it. You need to find what is genuinely yours to offer the world before you can make it a better place. Discovering your unique gift to bring to your community is your greatest opportunity and challenge. The offering of that gift — your true self — is the most you can do to love and serve the world. And it is all the world needs.
( Bill Plotkin )

David Whyte’s poetry offers several evocative images for soul: “that small, bright and indescribable wedge of freedom in your own heart,” “the one line already written inside you,” the “one life you can call your own,” the “shape [that] waits in the seed of you to grow and spread its branches against a future sky,” and “your own truth at the center of the image you were born with.”1

Each of us is born with a treasure, an essence, a seed of quiescent potential, secreted for safekeeping in the center of our being. This treasure, this personal quality, power, talent, or gift (or set of such qualities), is ours to develop, embody, and offer to our communities through acts of service — our contributions to a more diverse, vital, and evolved world. Our personal destiny is to become that treasure through our actions.

The giveaway bridges the opposition between selfishness and altruism. We cannot experience soul fulfillment without performing true service, and vice versa.

The theologian Frederick Buechner said this in an elegant way:

“our calling is where our deepest gladness and the world’s hunger meet.”20

So...as i look at places that look to "ungrade" the teaching staff.... to me they are missing the point... is teaching your calling??? If not.......what is???

Find it.....and follow it!!!

be well..... mike