Teachers are Leaving the Classroom... and We are not Fixing the Problem
There is an ongoing crisis revolving around teacher retention everyone is talking about, but no-one is really addressing the problem. According to Shen, approximately 157,000 teachers leave the profession while 232,00 transfer to a new district. Many schools and districts understand the crisis but are doing little to fix the problem. In some large public-school districts, teachers have a literacy and/or math coach but that’s not enough. It really makes it difficult to meet the needs of every teacher when they must support 25 teachers on staff. I often wonder, what is currently being done to support teachers in the classroom and what supports are necessary to make sure teachers say for the long haul? We are venturing into a new generation of educators now, are you familiar with millennials and Gen Z’ers? Here are some things you should know as we hire millennial's who are approaching adulthood now and/or Generation Z’ers who are between ages 23-38.
According to Ryan Jenkins there are 8 differences that you need to know:
Realistic Versus Optimistic- Seventy- Generation Z expect to work harder than previous generations.
Independent Versus Collaborative- They believe the phrase "If you want it done right, then do it yourself."
Digital Natives Versus Digital Pioneers- Generation Z said that working Wi-Fi was more important to them than working bathrooms.
Private Versus Public- Generation Z would rather share personal information with their pet than with their boss.
Face-to-Face Versus Digital-Only-Generation Z prefer to communicate face-to-face with colleagues.
On-Demand Learning Versus Formal Education- Generation Z say there are other ways of getting a good education than going to college.
Role-Hopping Versus Job-Hopping- Generation Z would be interested in a situation in which they could have multiple roles within one place of employment.
Global Citizens Versus Global Spectators- Adults worldwide ages 35-plus agree that "kids today have more in common with their global peers than they do with adults in their own country."
How do we support new teacher?
New teachers that are going into the profession need immediate help, full access to a mentor, and continuous positive reinforcement. Principals must understand that new teachers with fewer years of experience and alternative certificates are more likely to quit the profession when don’t feel valued. With our new, 1-3-year millennial's, there is less of a commitment and they are less likely to be involved with the school community so principals have to work hard to provide ongoing, individual support. New teachers who observe a school climate with many problems are also likely to leave the profession as well.
Besides for money, teachers need help
When teachers struggle in the classroom, they are less likely to reach out for help which feels like they are alone. Jaime Chambers Mack conducted a study evaluating teachers health and their intent to quit their public-school positions and discovered that new teachers that leave their job when they have higher levels of stress, a presence of major depression, elevated anxiety. All were key factors that related to their final decision of leaving the teaching profession.
Mental Health is a problem as well
Much of her study identified practices that can be put in place to support new teachers. Some included interventions while improving the school culture, providing mentorship support, and working to improve mental health will help in teacher attrition. I have yet to see schools work with their mental health partners to support teachers, and/or interventions that focus on teachers and the improvement in the workplace. Shen, J. ( 1997). Teacher retention and attrition in public schools: Evidence from SASS 91. The Journal of Education Research, 91( 2), 81– 88.Mack, Jamie, Johnson, Jones-Rincon, Tsatenawa, Howard. Why do teachers leave? A comprehensive occupational health study evaluating intent‐to‐quit in public school teachersJenkins, Ryan (2017) https://www.inc.com/ryan-jenkins/generation-z-vs-millennials-the-8-differences-you-.html