Blog Comment of the Week - Why Teachers Burn Out
Monday October 6, 2008
The Elementary Education community here has so much respectable insight into the tricky issue of teacher turnover.
Most of all, I was struck by the responses that had a tone of sadness and resignation mixed with an abiding optimism. It doesn't feel good or right to anyone when a teacher feels she can no longer do her job. Not to the parents, the kids, the principal, the community, and especially not to the teacher herself.
I believe Katie summed it up best with her Blog Comment of the Week:
"I have taught for 15 years (I entered the profession as an adult) and I think the problem is lack of parental expectations for their children, more expectation on us to fill the role as parent, and the stifling atmosphere created by state-mandated tests. Parents want us to excuse poor behavior, late work (or no work at all) and just “give the kids a break.” I have become the teacher I swore I’d never be: a worksheet dispensor to prepare students for assessments. I have shelved the creative projects that my students and I used to love. Ignoring Bloom’s taxonomy, I copy worksheet after worksheet to prepare kids to meet benchmarks and standards for three crucial days of testing. I get so fed up with the way things are. The kids are bored and I’m bored too."I applaud Katie for her honesty in saying the thoughts that surely every teacher has thought at one time or another. I know that teachers are not inherently whiners, so let's brainstorm - If you could snap your fingers and change one thing in education today to make our teaching efforts more effective, what one change would you make?
Comments
I will make parents responsible and involved. I shall give at-least 10% raise to all teachers across the board and then give ONE year to radically improve their perfornmance and then Fire bad performers!!
I believe that Abraham Lincoln once said that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. I say that no matter what the profession, there will be stress and negatives about that profession. Buck up, grow up, stop whining about parents, administrators, mandated testing, etc…and do the best job you can possibly do in your classroom each and every day!
I personally have had 2 careers – my first was medical technology (13 years) and now teaching (19 years) – and there were and are good and bad things about both jobs. I have never felt like quitting teaching – I truly enjoy being with children all day. I like the active boys and girls who really would rather be outside playing and also the quiet studious children that are a teacher’s dream. Several basic principles guide me – I never, never have teacher’s pets, I always stay calm no matter what the situation, and I don’t let “kid stuff” get to me. In my 19 years as an educator I’ve never had a serious issue with parents and I’ve never allowed myself to sink to the level of some of my colleagues in the teacher’s lounge. I stay positive and focused on my students. I also do a lot of self-reflection. I reflect on my choices and try to see things from a new perspective if needed. I always try to keep focused on what I can do to improve my teaching and classroom atmosphere – I don’t blame parents, testing, etc…because I can’t change those things, but I can change my attitude about them!
Sarah, the kids are not the problem and I think most teachers would agree with that. “Playing favorites” and the teachers’ lounge was never mentioned in the original thread. I applaud you for not having angry parents. You must have done a fine job of walking that tight little line to satisfy them. Maybe you don’t teach in an area of the country where many parents work shift jobs and are simply too tired to help their children with homework at night. They’re the parents who are the least involved because there simply aren’t enough hours in their day. The problems are the mandates from those who have never set foot in a classroom and actually taught. I don’t play favorites either. My classroom is structured, fair, and orderly. I avoid the lounge: I eat at my desk to prepare for the next class period. Our staff isn’t negative – I see positive interactions with students and our students view their teachers positively. BUT you want honesty, here it is: we will never have every student at the level NCLB mandates us to meet and it doesn’t matter what we do. What happens in 2014 when we’re not at the NCLB mandated level? It’s unrealistic. Many on this blog may have seen the basketball analogy (and other analogies) to NCLB -it shows the unrealistic picture of NCLB. You may think we’re whiners: I choose to think we’re realists.
I wish parents would teach their children to respect the teacher. I wish parents were more respect the teacher.
Thanks for the input. I wonder why you would even worry about what’s going to happen in 2014 – focus on today – and continue to do the best job you can do in your classroom. Let 2014 take care of itself – cross that bridge when you get to it. I eat in the teacher’s lounge every day – I just don’t let myself feed into the negativity that sometimes breeds there. I’m probably more of a realist than you realize – the reality is that I must live with what I can’t change – I can only change my attitude and choices (and vote for the candidate that talks about changing NCLB).
BTW – I don’t understand what you mean by the basketball analogy – also I don’t think I “try to please” parents – but I do try to see things from their perspective – maybe they appreciate that – I work in a very middle class city in central Florida. Over the years I’ve dealt with many parents who have worked in all kinds of shifts – and there’s been many families with single parents, poor, etc…I’ve seen and dealt with it all
I understand what Katie is saying about the future – my colleagues are wondering how we’ll ever get our kids to meet standards. You can almost make a case for a national curriculum, when we have kids moving in and out of districts. The whole thing is set up for failure eventually. I’ve seen the basketball thing before….80% of all players will make 100% of their freethrows, etc. it does make a good point and shows how crazy NCLB is set up with unrealistic expectations that we wouldn’t put on any other sector of life. Not every kid is going to be proficient and we’re not all the same ability in the real world. how would other people like to work in a job where they’re likely to fail like teachers are with the testing? The concept of testing and accountability is very good, but the system is definitely flawed. According to the Phi Delta Kappan, in 2007 52% of people surveyed felt there was too much emphasis placed on testing as it relates to No Child Left Behind. Many parents I talk to at conferences and on the street think all of the testing we do is ridiculous and some have contacted legislators to voice their opinion. I don’t think that disagreeing with NCLB makes a person negative and worrying too much about the wrong things. I have my own kids who endure the testing in school, too, and they feel the stress placed on them to perform well. It’s really a shame.
It’s sad to see how uninterested some kids are in school, eventhough you try to find ways in order to have a nice atmosphere
I’ve been teaching for 19 years, and every year is a challenge. Honestly, students aren’t ever the same. They are other generetions. We need as teacher to understand about this situation. Students attitude, interest, and habilities are different every five years. We most understand and study those aspects. Studens can not adapt to us, but we can adapt to them. Don’t forget something: Education is a social compromise, every must be involved (students, teachers, parents, administrators, politians, etc.)
Emphasis on critical thinking activities, connecting learning to student experiences, and helping students find the patterns in each subject area, not test-prep worksheets, allows students to fare well on any test they may encounter. Sarah, feel free to return to your real teaching, so that your students will be successful, well-rounded, lifelong learners. Rely on students’ thirst for knowledge, and feed it through your passion for learning. It is the best gift you can give them. They won’t disappoint you when the FCAT comes. Additionally, you’ll be able to sleep soundly at night knowing they’ll have the true skills (thinking, curiosity, and problem solving abilities) to be capable and responsible citizens. Show them the respect they deserve by giving them more than test-taking skills.
Hi,
I just joined this site, because i have a burning question!
Last month I bought a Wii!!! Yeah!
I want to play backup wii games. How do I need to Wii Ombouwen?
Thank you in advance for your replies and help!!
Jannes