Uncategorized | Mar 14, 2011
Why Great Teachers Quit (book review)
By Angela Watson
Founder and Writer
Why Great Teachers Quit (book review)
By Angela Watson
Teacher attrition is a topic that’s constantly on my mind. The primary reason I maintain my website and write books is because I’m passionate about helping teachers overcome energy-draining setbacks and actually enjoy the profession. So, when I read this post, I was immediately intrigued by the book’s title and asked the representatives at Corwin Press for two copies: one for me and one for a blog reader. I rarely do that because there’s no guarantee the book will be any good, and I don’t want to give away something I wouldn’t recommend. However, I could tell from the online reviews that this book was going to be a worthwhile read…and I wasn’t disappointed.
Why Great Teachers Quit And How We Might Stop the Exodus is written by Katy Farber, a classroom teacher currently grappling with this subject on a daily basis. She interviewed dozens of teachers and includes their experiences as she explains the various issues faced in the classroom. I found it simultaneously comforting and distressing to know that teachers all across the country are dealing with the same problems. In nearly every quote from classroom teachers (and there are hundreds), I found myself nodding along and thinking, Yes! Thank you! Yes! That’s it, exactly! The problems described in this book will undoubtedly ring true.
Farber organizes the book into eight primary reasons why great teachers quit:
- Standardized Testing (including effects on students and the school climate)
- Working Conditions in Today’s Schools (i.e. violence and small problems that add up, like not being able to use the bathroom)
- Ever-Higher Expectations (including useless professional development on new mandates)
- Bureaucracy (committees, closed budgets, and scheduling constraints)
- Respect and Compensation (the martyr system and paying for supplies)
- Parents (unrealistic demands and no limits)
- Administrators (the pressure cooker of principalship)
- School Boards (uses and abuses of power)
There was one reason I expected to see and did not: there is no section on students. As much as I’d like to assert that children are the reason why we teach, they’re also frequently the reason why we quit. Is Farber pretending that “it’s all about the kids” and that our little darlings are never a source of stress? Nope. Instead, she accurately assesses the root problem: teachers quit over their powerlessness to place students in an appropriate academic setting and enforce appropriate consequences. These problems fall under the categories of Respect and Compensation and Working Conditions (as well as Parents, to an extent.) The underlying assumption is that it’s NOT the students, it’s the system that has given teachers too little power to meet the needs of the students and maintain order in the learning environment.
After explaining each overarching reason why teachers quit, Farber includes Recommendations for Teacher Leaders and Administrators (practical, proven suggestions), Words of Wisdom From Veteran Teachers (advice from teachers to teachers), Success Stories and/or a Silver Lining (which keep the problems from seeming hopeless) and Additional Resources you can read online and in print to address the issues of that section.
I wish this was required reading for school board members and legislators…parents would benefit, too. Often educators complain that no one really knows what’s it’s really like to be a teacher, and this book does an excellent job summarizing the main challenges of the job and the type of solutions that are needed. Katy Farber has written a powerful resource for everyone who cares about education. It’s my hope, as well as hers, that this book will make a difference in teacher retention and help great teachers maintain their efficacy and enthusiasm.
WIN A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK! Simply leave a comment to this post that briefly shares your experience: why do you think great teachers quit, and/or what can be done to encourage them to stay in the classroom? On Sunday, March 20th, I’ll choose a comment randomly to win a free copy of the book, courtesy of Corwin Press.
3/20/11 Edited to add: CONTEST CLOSED.
Angela Watson
Founder and Writer
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I think that teachers quit mostly because of things we can’t control. I actually quit last year (took a leave of absence) because I was being asked to do at least 3 full-time employees worth of work on top of being a grad student and mom and had a class that just could not get along, no matter what (sadly, even the strategies in The Cornerstone did *nothing* for this group). I asked for help, I pleaded for help and I admitted that I was weak (even though I wasn’t). I got zip from my administration. I had a principal tell me I couldn’t handle my classroom because I was *white*.
I think teachers most often quit because they feel demoralized and disrespected, not simply by unruly students and parents, but by administrators who do not step up to the plate and put sanctions on the children who prevent others from learning. In my opinion, a way to get teachers to want to stay teaching is to go back-to-basics. Discipline and upbringing start in the HOME and parents need to start being held accountable as much as teachers are, if not more.
Hey, Sunny! Excellent points you’ve made. Having that super-tough group that’s seemingly beyond help can make anyone want to quit. And being held responsible for factors beyond our control is a major source of burnout. It’s hard enough to deal with stressful situations that you are powerless to change, but when someone else is insisting that you somehow work a miracle and holds you accountable for not doing so, it can create almost insurmountable stress.
Moving from teacher to principal in the last 2 1/2 years has enabled me to help realistically attack this problem. I do feel that the load a teacher is expected to carry must be realistic. For me, that starts with making sure that the number of children per classroom is not just manageable for teachers but is at a number whereby the teacher can dig deep in her teaching, integrate technology, and engage each student daily. An overwhelmed teacher will not be able to enjoy her calling for very long.
Hi, Tami! It’s wonderful to hear the perspective of a principal. You have wonderful insight on this issue. Thank you for sharing.
I’m currently student teaching in a third grade classroom. I have heard and heard of a few awesome teachers who say they are just burnt out on teaching. From their conversations I hear them being frustrated about not having enough time to get things done and about how much time they do spend on school work. I see them putting too much time into little things, and not enough time into making relationships meaningful in the classroom. Teachers are constantly told what to do while having tell 20-30 students what they need to do, its tough.
Every day I have some sort of struggle, but to see those two kids lift up another student, or that one kid say he finally gets it in math, makes every hard minute of being a teacher worthwhile. I love what I do!
I think that in order to keep teachers they need to see how important and influential they are. If a teacher can see the academic growth of a child in one year that should make them feel incredible to know they changed that students life. A teacher should remember how influential they can be to a child, they are a role model and guide the future leaders of our country.
Teachers are the backbone of the world, where would we be today without the help of a teacher?
Hi, Miss. Will! I love the idealism and sense of vision in your words. Very insightful of you to notice that “I see them putting too much time into little things, and not enough time into making relationships meaningful in the classroom.” This is an important point, because creating relationships with students counteracts burnout. I know this from my own experience–when I focus on all of the meaningless crap I have to do for the district, I ignore the kids and dislike my job. When I do the meaningless crap but keep my focus on the kids, I enjoy my job. Those light bulb moments like the one you describe are what energizes teachers to keep going. 🙂
I try to foster solid relationships based on trust, respect, and caring with my students and their parents. The issue here is that we do tend to focus on other things at times because of all the pressure. We are pressured to follow unrealistic pacing schedules to accommodate benchmark and state testing. We are expected to prep and plan and collaborate with very little time given. On top of that, we’re not supported when it comes to behavior management/discipline. And don’t forget that we are now responsible for making our own copies, preparing ALL materials, planning field trips, fundraising, attendance data entry, data entry of test results, etc., etc. Basically all the things that were taken care of by support personnel not so long ago (this is my 5th year, and teachers are doing more and more and more) are now our responsibility. This is on top of IEP requirements, SST requirements, and other responsibilities, with very little to no support. This has been the toughest year ever for many of us. The idealism that we bring to the job can only take us so far.
I am a second year teacher and I struggle every day with whether or not I made the right decision to enter the field of education. I love teaching and I love my students, but I am constantly hitting my head up against administrators who are tying my hands or who tell me that the student who is a behavior problem in my class is my problem that I need to deal with. I go home in tears most days hoping that maybe tomorrow will be better. I know that I am helping the majority of my students and they are the reason I stay.
Hi, Rebekah! You are smart to focus on the kids. Brush off the other stuff and keep your mind stayed on the things that really matter. It breaks my heart to hear that you go home crying each day. I have been there.
In June, I am releasing a new book that is aimed specifically at teachers who are experiencing that. It’s designed to help teachers change their perception of stressful situations so they can focus their energy on what creates meaning and joy. Please hang in there! Summer is near. Read the book, relax, rest, and go start the next year fresh. It WILL get better. 🙂
I am a kindergarten teacher who recently went from public school to a private christian school. The amount of testing that was required in my school district was excessive and not appropriate for 5 year olds. The school I was in was a lower performing school, so was under the microscope of district officials constantly. The administrators on my campus were pressured into leaving mid-year and the district brought in a person who was known to “whip teachers into shape”. Needless to say, morale was low. Behavior disorders in students were viewed as a lack of classroom control on the teacher’s part. The first administrators offered as much help and support as possible. The new regime had no time for this……it was all about the test scores and campus ratings. I was left to deal with multiple students with extreme, disruptive behavior and also a special ed. student who was really not ready to be mainstreamed full time in the classroom. Going to private school was a difficult decision to make……the salary is about HALF the public school salary. However, I feel that teaching is my calling and talent and want to stay in the classroom. My husband and I have adjusted our budget and are managing. I have a maximum of 12 students…..all whose parents take responsibility for their children. Behavior issues are dealt with promptly. Testing is minimal, so I can focus on the real teaching….and take advantage of those “teachable moments” that arise periodically. When a student is struggling, I can give immediate intervention and feedback. I am relaxed and don’t come home crying anymore. I love the small class sizes! It is sad to feel that I gave up on the public school system that served me well when I was a child. However, some things are more important…..such as preserving my health and living in a less stressful environment. I am blessed to be able to make this change and still get by financially. My heart goes out to all my fellow teachers who can not consider this choice.
Hi, Paula! I’m so glad to hear that you found a way to follow your calling without having to deal with the bureaucracy of your local public school system. I love and support public education, but also find that the stresses of working in them are sometimes not worth the benefit. As a classroom teacher, I longed to teach in a Christian school where I could share my faith and teach with meaning, but couldn’t bear to take the gigantic pay cut you’ve described so well. Now as an instructional coach, I take as much work as possible in private schools (i.e. Christian, Catholic, and Jewish yeshivas) because I have so much more freedom to help teachers real change in their classrooms. It feels as if the chains have been lifted in many ways. So in short, I completely identify with your choice, and I’m happy to hear that you are making a difference where you’re at. 🙂