March 10 (Journal No.9)

This week Gil and Lisa presented their topic on managing human resources. The issues presented included staffing, hiring practices, teacher retention and disciplinary measures.

One of the breakout activities involved a discussion on the issue of whether teachers should participate in the hiring process. Most of the members of my group were in agreement that teacher input is vital. For example, the administrator may not be fully familiar with the tasks associated with a science lab technician. It was pointed out that in one school, the principal allowed a science teacher to make the hiring decision. Some individuals were against going this far; pointing out that the administrator must have the final say when it comes to hiring.

Another important issue discussed, and the issue which I would like to address predominantly in my blog this week, was teacher retention. Gil pointed out a startling statistic: 50% of teacher leave the profession within 5 years. This is significant given the high turnover we are experiencing already due to retirements.

Our breakout group discussed ways to increase retention for teachers. My contribution to this discussion was that as an administrator I support my teachers when it comes to dealing with unruly students. Teachers need to feel that they can come in your office and discuss these things, and that you are able to listen, provide encouragement, and help them with solutions.

A comparison of reasons for low retention from North America and around the world demonstrated that teachers everywhere are having a hard time staying in the profession for reasons like unruly students and low salary.

The article that I read: "Responding to New Teachers' Concerns", addresses the issue of teacher retention. It reports the results of a 3 year in depth study of factors that push teachers out of the profession.

One contributing issue to low retention is the fact that most new teachers receive the worst teaching assignments. The study reported that the subjects (novice English teachers) felt a sense of hopelessness and were overwhelmed at their workloads. Receiving 5 different 'preps' and giving new teachers the most difficult assignments has no place when teacher shortages are a reality, according to the aurthors.

I have to admit that I came close to quitting the profession during my first year as a high-school teacher. I was given Drama (Sec. 1), Special Ed. English (Sec. 2); English (Sec.4), and Economics (Sec.5). Not only did I have 4 preps, but I was dealing with the entire spectrum of students from sec. 1 to sec. 5. Adding to this frustration was the fact that I had some of the most unruly students in the school. Long nights preping and contemplating early retirement were the norm that year. The only reason I decided to stay was because I was lucky enough to be transferred in another school where I taught courses in the social sciences: History and Economics. Courses I was comfortable teaching and not having to worry about multiple preps.

The authors also refer to mentoring programs as a means to improve retention but offer the caveat that such programs can be detrimental. The subjects of the study discussed how such mentoring programs can be a sham: teachers are asked to meet late in the evenings and are often paired up with "mentors" they don't respect or get along with. The conclude that novice teachers can benefit from a broad network of contacts with peers and external resource people.

Another means of improving teacher retention is to encourage greater participation in associations affiliated with specific subjects areas.

My own observations lead me to believe that novice teachers require administrative support when it comes to dealing with parents and unruly students. Here, I have made myself present in certain classrooms and have taken some of my teachers aside to provide constructive strategies to improve their classroom managment skills. Also, I often attend parent-teacher interviews to lend my support and intervene when necessary. The presense of the adminstration on such issues is crucial if we want to keep our teachers.