Look, teaching is hard. Really hard. No...I mean REALLY hard!! It is a whirlwind experience that will make your head spin off. Planning instruction, designing curriculum, meeting performance goals, managing student behavior and parent relationships, tying shoes, zipping pants, wiping tears and noses, grading 100s of papers. Don't forget the committees your on, or that team you coach. This is complicated, exhausting work. Now imagine you arrive at your school everyday and you are met by a pit viper behind the building secretary's desk, you have to avoid a staff bully in the lounge, or a team member that constantly complains about the administration, "pointless testing", "those kids" and "those parents, that "ridiculous" district mandate, and constant bickering. You are afraid to open your mouth because you don't want it to be misinterpreted and used against you later. Your classroom neighbor yells at her kids all morning as a behavior management strategy.
Probably not what you signed up for when you decided to pursue education as a career. Most teachers love their work and their students, but many will describe a highly dysfunctional work environment where the only recourse is to show up, walk into their classroom and shut the door. Teachers at theses schools avoid eating in the lounge because of the radioactive pollutants that seem to grow and fester there. Teachers at theses schools are laying rubber in the parking lot at 4:00 to get out of there.
What, instead, if you were greeted by a radiant mile in the office (like my secretary in Kettle Moraine) everyday? What, instead, if there were no bullies in the lounge, your team members are driven by questions that push and support you in your work with students, data was embraced as a powerful tool to guide instruction, and the lounge was a place for collegial discussion and a place to relax with your co-workers?
There is a formula to make any school hum with the effort of engaged, motivated and satisfied staff.
This does not happen without effort, significant effort. But the pay off is incredible. Staff feel valued and invested. The hard work is worth it because you feel good about your work and day. From 2005-2007 I was a Lead Teacher at Valley Crossing Community School. Valley Crossing is intentional in their effort to support a positive school environment and the results show. VCCS earned an E. Boyer Foundation Award in recognition of professional collaboration in 2003 for their effort and continues to be an amazing place to work and learn ten years later.
The staff and school leaders understands it begins with the adult community. As a school wide Responsive Classroom school, Valley Crossing plans and implements structures that supports success for kids, but also plans and implements structures that supports a strong adult community. Staff and parents have a vehicle for their voices to be heard through a shared decision making process. Teachers have additional time to plan and work with their teammates to improve instruction every day. Staff members celebrate each other's hard work formally and informally. All staff socials are held monthly before school starts to provide a healthy way to start the day and bring the entire staff together to show that they value each other (often with a fun theme). Norms of collaboration are established, shared, and revisited throughout the year. Teachers are given the opportunity for leadership by leading curriculum teams, as members of the "Lead Team", or by serving the Shared Decision Making Council.
Lots of schools are deliberate about their adult community. It does take effort and has to be well thought out, but the pay off is visible in the reduced stress levels of the staff, and the success of the students. What does your school do to promote a healthy and positive adult community?
No comments:
Post a Comment