Without taking the time to unravel the complexities of the teaching profession, many may assume that teachers are people who enjoy working with children, and making a difference in their lives. While some teachers may be drawn to the summers off, or the winter and spring breaks, it is doubtful that such shallow incentives propel most individuals to come to or remain in the profession. By identifying the obstacles, it is possible to generate new contexts for practice, that can not only limit the challenges, but create conditions for teachers and students to thrive. This book shares ideas about what such changes could be like, how change could benefit teachers and students alike, and how it could influence a positive shift in society. Before addressing significant reforms in teacher practice, it’s important to outline what kinds of experiences make the teacher profession attractive to some and not to others. Taking a closer look at teacher’s stories, what drives them to stay and leave, what makes them feel empowered or not, and what makes them feel fulfilled in the role, is this starting point for further exploration.
This thought-provoking collection examines the challenge of teacher shortages that is of international concern. It presents multiple perspectives, and explores the commonalities and differences in approaches from around the world to understand possible solutions for the current teacher workforce crisis. Acknowledging that solutions to attract and retain teachers vary by country, region and in some cases locality, the contributors scrutinise a range of workforce planning interventions at local and government level, including financial incentives and early career support. The book draws on different perspectives to understand a range of problems that negatively affect teacher recruitment and retention, unpicking key challenges, including links between the disadvantages of location and access to teachers for coastal and rural schools, rising pupil numbers, declining school budgets and the role of professional learning in raising teacher status. Abundant in critiques, research-informed positions and context-specific discussions about the impact of teacher workforce supply and shortages, this book will be valuable reading for teacher educators, educational leaders, education policy makers and academics in the field.
Opportunities and Challenges in Teacher Recruitment and Retention serves as a comprehensive resource for understanding teachers’ careers across the professional lifespan. Grounded in the notion that teachers’ voices are essential for understanding teachers’ lives, this edited volume contains chapters that privilege the voices of teachers above all. Book sections look closely at the particular issues that arise when recruiting an effective, committed, and diverse workforce, as well as the challenges that arise once teachers are immersed in the classroom setting. Promising directions are also included for particularly high-need areas such as early childhood teachers, Black male teachers, STEM teachers, and urban teachers. The book concludes with a call for self-care in teachers’ lives. Chapter contributions come from a variety of contexts across the United States and around the world. However, regardless of context or methodology, these chapters point to the importance of valuing and respecting teachers’ lives and work. Moreover, they demonstrate that teacher recruitment and retention is a complex and multifaceted issue that cannot be addressed through simplistic policy changes. Rather, attending to and appreciating the web of influences on teachers lives and careers is the only way to support their work and the impact they have on our next generation of students.
This book is for you if you are: challenged by the number of teacher vacancies at the start of your school year, finding that your most promising teachers are resigning before they complete their first few years on the job, or no longer willing to accept that your veteran teachers are just marking time until their retirement. Best-selling author India Podsen shows you how to uncover and analyze retention risks at your school; implement induction programs to help novices master the realities of full-time teaching; engage your experienced teachers in the retention process; and apply the Professional Educator Career Framework, consisting of Four Career Stages: teacher inductee, teacher specialist, teacher leader, and teacher steward. This book provides school leaders with practical suggestions and easy-to-use tools such as checklists and action plans, sample meeting programs and agendas, evaluation templates, benchmarks and standards, and all designed to help you deal successfully with teacher shortages and related problems.
Why is there a teacher shortage? How can headteachers recruit and retain good teachers? As teacher shortage becomes an ever greater problem, headteachers and senior management teams are looking for more effective ways to attract and keep teachers in their schools. This book gives useful advice on how to do this and covers issues such as: * Young people's career selection * Choosing a first teaching job * Sustaining interest in the profession * Being a supply teacher and what individuals and others can do to enhance the situation Based on research with teachers about why they teach and what attracts them to the schools they teach in, Recruiting and Retaining Teachers will be helpful to headteachers and senior managers in all schools. It will also be of interest to education managers, education authority advisers and policy makers.
The educational system is experiencing a teacher shortage problem. Retiring "baby boomers" are exiting the teaching profession at an alarming rate and there are many other factors draining the system. Researchers theorize poor salary, poor administrative support, student discipline problems, lack of faculty influence and autonomy, poor student motivation, no opportunity for professional advancement, inadequate time to prepare, intrusions on teaching time, and large class sizes are all factors contributing to poor retention rates. Researchers also predict nearly 2.7 million newly hired teachers will be required to keep pace with growing student populations in the next decade. In 2004, a Delaware study indicated over 60% of teachers vacated their current teaching positions. Delaware is feeling the effects of the global teacher shortage and it has become important for school districts to address this issue. Despite a state of the art facility, Superior ranking by the State of Delaware, and Middle States accreditation, Caesar Rodney High School has not been immune to the teacher retention problem. Over a three year period from 2002-2005, the school lost an average of 17.2% of its teachers. The cost of rehiring and retraining for these positions has become overwhelming, time consuming, and costly. In order for Caesar Rodney High School to become a "great" school, this executive position paper was designed to identify and understand the factors that cause teacher departures. The goal was to reduce the number of leavers to permit the reallocation of time, resources and money to other school priorities. To understand the issues affecting teacher retention, surveys of teacher leavers and current staff members were distributed. Focus groups and interviews helped elaborate on critical topics. At the conclusion of data collection and analysis, tangible factors were identified for consideration. Former and current teachers at Caesar Rodney High School held the administration liable and challenged the administration to improve conditions at Caesar Rodney High School. There was a request for improved teacher administrator relationships, more consistent discipline, more effective professional development, and an enhanced mentoring program. Because of the focus group success in developing these solutions, I suggested similar groups be formed to revisit, revise, and implement the strategies to the entire school. In doing so, Caesar Rodney High School would move to a more collaborative leadership approach incorporating a teacher and administrator partnership to address school issues.
Teacher shortage is a chronic problem across the United States today. As a result school districts struggle each year to appropriately staff their schools and provide students with highly-qualified teachers. Of those teachers leaving, the highest category was new teachers or those educators who are in their first five years of teaching. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the perspectives of school and district leaders on beginning teacher support and retention. InQuiry methodology was used to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data. Findings generated three distinct viewpoints. An analysis and implications for these findings are discussed in order to highlight factors that can be implemented to improve teacher retention.
The statistics are familiar: almost 50% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years in the classroom. The challenge of recruiting and retaining teachers carries high costs for today’s schools and students. This book uncovers some of the reasons behind the elevated attrition rates in the field of education through a long-term study of beginning teachers in one urban school district. Drawing upon research conducted over a seven-year period, this book sheds light upon the role that teachers’ intentions play in shaping their later career paths. It also shares the deeply personal and professional journeys of teachers who stayed, teachers who shifted into education-related positions, and teachers who left the field altogether. Through eight in-depth case studies, this book clarifies the factors influencing teachers’ career paths and depicts the toll that teacher attrition takes on the teachers themselves. Finally, it makes an argument for placing teachers’ voices clearly at their center of their own career development as a way to enhance autonomy, satisfaction, and ultimately career longevity.
A teacher shortage, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, has triggered an increased need for substitute teachers leading to a shortage of subs. In response, many districts and states have resorted to extreme measures engaging those who are untrained and lack experience. This revised, 2nd edition substitute teacher book has been updated to reflect changes including tips to help navigate uncertainties of the “New Normal” while continuing to serve as a means for preparation for substitute teaching and an on-site resource. In addition to topics such as Teaching Strategies, Classroom Management, and Lesson Plans more than 30 Ready-to-Copy Classroom Activities labeled by subjects and grades are included. A goal of this book is to enhance abilities and skills for substitute teachers to serve beyond the role of a classroom “monitor” by providing information, methods, and activities which help support student learning and retention. Whether new or seasoned, regular substitute or filling in during the shortage crisis, the contents of the book provide information and strategies to help substitutes feel comfortable and confident in a classroom teaching students.
