This (click here) series of posts by educator contributors to a periodic and varying blog query, in this case, "Design Your Dream Teaching Job," or something along those lines, prompted me to shout, 'yes!' Evolve, please, teaching organization systems, think outside the box, look at the private sector for inspiration ----- to incorporate fresh ideas not only to entice but equally, if not more important - RETAIN - talent in the profession.
The women's movement in our nation is something that not a single one of us would 'take back,' but some studies indicate that's the time when we started bleeding hemorrhaging talent from education, when women went from facing realistically three or four 'professional' job prospects to a much wider and - kicker - incredibly more lucrative menu of career options historically only attainable by their male counterparts.
Since the women's movement, our education system has, er, changed. So, nowadays, not only do talented potential educators become offered a dictionary length set of career options availed to them, they can earn more - lots more - money, have a 'normal' life August - June, and not possibly grapple daily with the most extreme of our system's challenges. Read: just watch Blackboard Wars on OWN if you want a taste of what I refer to as "extreme."
I didn't solve the income disparity problem with education in the above two paragraphs, but the idea of hybrid teaching could be an incredible enticement and/or retention feature for teacher talent. Instead of teachers feeling the itch to leave the classroom after a mere 3-4 years (which, honestly, is like infancy stage in the classroom), give them more growth and learning opportunities, provide job-shares, let teachers officially wear more than one professional hat - and I don't mean implement that by asking teachers to attend yet more off-contract-time meetings. We already do that, we already do tons of learning and "extras" on our own time, we already serve on endless committees.
I may have missed it, but I didn't see a post in the linked article that specifically designed a hybrid job of combining teaching part of the day, and training new teachers part of the day. I'm not talking coaching or professional development initiatives, but 100%, straight-up, shaken not stirred, on the job training for newbie teachers. Our profession misses the mark on that, if not totally sucks lemons. If you begin a new job in a factory, someone piggy backs (baby-sits) you for a few weeks, or more, literally walking you through each step of your responsibilities, while your productivity doesn't "count." I'd say our education product is at least as important as learning how to put the right widget on the correct widget-receiver, so in my "dream" teaching job, I'd have a hybrid opportunity like that, to work half of the day alongside new teachers as we throw them to the lions, and yet still teach my own students the remaining half of the day.
I have zero desire to leave the classroom. I'm in my tenth year and can honestly say I'm still improving, and I LOVE that. Some days are mentally and emotionally harrowing, but most days are unilaterally rewarding. Additionally, you'll never convince me that in-the-classroom isn't where the real and most meaningful work in the field is performed, even most administrators toast to that. So, am I ever bored? Hell, no. But, give our talent the opportunity to stretch their curious wings. If we can't pay teachers what they truly 'earn,' let's start with giving those teachers who need some additional adventure the chances to stretch, play, or experience that slightly scary "new job" feeling again.
No comments:
Post a Comment