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 students are a huge factor. Not that it’s all their fault. Students who are totally reliant upon teachers and can’t figure out if they can get a tissue by themselves drain my energy every day. (I’ve taught 3 before me, but we’re still practicing remembering to use it!) Students where I work are so reliant and require you to spoon-feed them everything. The result are a group of kids who can’t think for themselves, can’t critically think, and have no idea what they’ve read. (As fluency is pushed so much that comprehension gets lost.)
Hi, Jodi! Kids who can’t think for themselves have always driven me crazy…nothing pushes my buttons more than a child who relies on others to do everything for him/her and refuses to exert any effort. I’m working on getting over that! 😉 Your point about comprehension is a good one–I was required to spend so much of my class time on test prep (multiple choice questions) that it was no wonder the kids couldn’t create, collaborate, problem-solve, and think critically. There’s definitely a correlation between children who don’t know how to think and children who are tested to death.
I believe teachers quit because of a variety of reasons all piled up together. There’s the state mandated tests that dictate exactly what will be taught in the classroom. There is funding which also involves politics. The funding is never enough for decent salaries or classroom supplies. Another issue is students and parents attitudes towards learning. It is just not a priority with some. All of these issues added together equal a quick burnout!
Hi, Stacey! I agree that there are a combination of issues at play. I remember budget problems being an issue all the way back to my first year of teaching (1999)–every year, they’d tell us we had less money than ever before. Every year, we’d wonder where we’d get paper for photocopies. It’s amazing that schools are still functioning after all this time.
I feel that the politicians are calling all the shots and they are trying to make education one size fits all. The true teacher knows that this is not the case. I was talking with numerous teachers this week and the biggest thing that they all are upset about it the lack of motivation in the children . We are doing cartwheels to try to get the kids excited about learning. The children seem to feel that they are entitled to everything and the time when you worked for what you got has come to pass. I love teaching and am very sad to see so many new teachers that want to get higher and higher degrees just to get out of the classroom to make more money. They have chosen the wrong profession.
Hi, Angela. Lack of motivation in children is a major problem and increasingly so. It’s a huge factor in teacher burnout because we’re in the field *because* of the kids. If we don’t get satisfaction from knowing we’ve helped a child learn, what is left? What is the reason to stay in the field?
How sad is it that we need a thread like this?? What other job out there is so scrutinized and yet so misunderstood by so many?? Parents, admin, politicians, general society– no one understands or WANTS to understand the plight of today’s teacher. It breaks my heart.
I am someone who is seriously considering quitting (possible leave of absence) at the end of this year. I am 35 and have been teaching for 10 years. I have put off having children of my own because of the stresses of the job. It is just getting worse and worse and I am to the point that I wonder why I am sacrificing my own family, health and sanity for a job.
I would type more right now, but it’s Friday evening, I just got home from work (6:00 being early to get home from work), and I’m exhausted!! =) All the best to all of you teachers out there– you are not alone!!
Hi, Mrs. Margo. Sounds like you’ve been faced with some tough decisions. I, too, am fascinated by how some people have the energy to teach all day and then care for their own children at night! I hope you are able to find a balance between your work and home life. It’s challenging, I know.
You have hit the nail on the head. The thing that keeps me from quitting is that I feel like I’d be giving up on my students! I teach in a Title I school with 70% F&R lunch. I love my students, but feel powerless for all the above reasons.
Hi, Melissa. You’re managing to stay focused on the reason why you’re in the field–wonderful! Remember that it’s your calling, and you ARE making a difference! That’s a powerful way to prevent burnout. 🙂