I often see and hear teachers who are burned out, stressed out, lacking motivation, and just plain tired! The average time a teacher stays in the classroom is less than 8 years. New teachers are coming in motivated and excited, but often find themselves frustrated and consumed by their job responsibilities. Why is this? Too many mandates, too many requirements, lack of administrative and parent support, and the list goes on and on.
So how do we get to a culture of enthusiastic, motivated, happy great teachers? I believe it starts with administration. Teachers rely on the administration to back them, to support and encourage them. Teaching is a tough job, and we need support!
I remember my first year of teaching, I was nervous but ready to make a difference! Honestly, I had no idea how the job would consume my personal life with all the after-school work and requirements coming down the pike, not only from the board but from direct administration. I was hired into a public city school system with 182 schools. Our Superintendents were only lasting only a couple of years and the one superintendent who supported the teacher population was booted out after a couple of years by the school board — many of which had no educational background.
During my first year, I had a great principal, but when she retired at the end of my first year, a new principal was brought on—one who, in my opinion, created a very stressful, unhealthy, toxic environment for our staff. I will refer to this principal as “Mr. Drain” for confidentiality reasons. Mr. Drain always seemed frustrated and angry for one reason or another. He rarely spoke to you or greeted you in the hallway while bulldozing down the hall, probably ready to reprimand one of his staff or a student. Teachers would always look at one another as if to communicate, “There he goes again. Who is in trouble, now?” Very little support and encouragement were provided to staff—UNLESS, you were one of Mr. Drain’s drinking buddies. The teachers on my wing (7th & 8th grade) were not. I worked five years under Mr. Drain before he was transferred and Mrs. Sunshine (not really name) was moved into the principal’s position. She was so very supportive and encouraging — my husband and I refer to her as the “best-ever principal”. Staff felt free to knock on her door at any time without fear. She was ALWAYS open for discussion and guidance. I truly believe that if I had been under her supervision at the beginning of my career, I would have thrived. But under Mr. Drain, my mental health and physical health suffered. My anxiety was high on a daily basis; I felt like a “not-good-enough” teacher (even though I now realize I was a great and committed one. ). I was constantly emotionally and physically exhausted trying to meet all the demands in addition to coaching softball or leading after-school programs and tutoring. All I wanted to do was teach, love my students and make a difference. I worked myself sick (literally) trying to meet his requirements and avoid being reprimanded. I now live with a life-long medical condition which I attribute to the breakdown of my immune system due to all the stress I carried. So, new teachers… take care of yourself first!
The point of telling this story is your administrator can create a culture of enthusiastic, motivated wonderful teachers or they can create the opposite. “When teachers are asked, “what makes you such a good teacher, the overall response is that they had an administrator who encouraged and supported them, trusted their professionalism, and made them feel like a significant member of a very important team.” — Book if you Don’t Feed the Teachers, They East the Students! This is true by Neila A. Conners.
What Makes a Good Administrator?
The main characteristic of a great leader is someone whom others WANT to follow. One that created a nurturing and supportive culture. When administrators make it a priority to treat teachers with respect and realize teachers are their best allies, great things can happen.
Questions administrators can ask:
(1) How was your week? (And really want to know & listen)
(2) What are some successes you experienced this week?
(3) Did you have any problems this week that we as administrators could assist you with?
(4) Do you have any concerns you have about the overall operation of the school?
And when administrators ask these questions, it doesn’t need to be small talk, they need to ask with the goal of acting on it, not with the goal of listening for the purpose of reacting or ignoring.
Administrators, Are Your Teachers Hungry?
Administrators need to ask themselves, “are my teachers hungry,” and if the answer is yes, “how can I feed them”? Teachers are thirsty for great, supportive leadership. Their jobs are very difficult and without it, their teaching goals feel unattainable. Schedule times to go into the classroom and teach once in a while to remember and experience what the teachers are experiencing in today’s classroom. It is easy to forget what it is like being a classroom teacher if you have been out of it for more than two years. Casual visits won’t give you the perspective you need—actually teach a lesson to a classroom full of students for the entire class period.
Here are some guides on if you have hungry teachers:
(1) What is your teacher absentee rate?
(2) Do teachers talk and include you in the conversation when you are in the room?
(3) Can you easily get teachers to volunteer for additional activities or are they spread too thin
(4) Do you regularly as teachers to evaluate your effectiveness without retribution? Can they be honest or are you going to call them on it and challenge them?
(5) Do you tell your teachers individually, “Thank you” whether it be verbal or a note in their box?
(6) Do you feel comfortable dropping by the teachers’ lounge to chat? How do they react when you enter? Do they get quiet? Do they welcome you? Or are they waiting to see what bad news you are delivering this time?
If You want more questions for self-evaluation or if you want to sneak a copy of this book into your administrator inbox, you can get it here:
Amazon: If You Don’t Feed the Teachers, They Eat Students.
Teachers Who Find Yourself In A Toxic Culture
It may be time to move on to another school where you are in a culture in which you can thrive, even if that means changing grade levels. There are good administrators out there. If that isn’t an option, seek counseling or guidance from a specialist, someone who can help you through this time. Mental health is important. If your cup is empty, how can you fill someone else’s cup?
As teachers, we are often overworked and pulled in too many directions. We often put others before ourselves and it is hard to learn to take care of ourselves. Addressing mental health is part of self-care for our minds, bodies, and souls. Remember, if your cup is empty, you can’t fill someone else’s cup. Here are 27 FREE COUNSELING OPTIONS FOR
TEACHERS https://www.weareteachers.com/free-counseling-for-teachers/
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