This is the time of the year where you can just tell people are tired. Everyone is snippy, referrals go up, and patience is very thin. As grade chair, my job is to take grade level concerns to grade level meetings. Each month I send an email out to my team of 20 teachers, and very rarely do I get anything back. I have maybe 1 a month. This month I sent out the same email. I received 8 emails about grade level concerns. Some were valid and things that we should be worried about. Others were things that have happened all year, and people are just tired of them. One example would be the fact that we don't always have our Special Ed AP in the building to answer questions. Our AP has been part time for more than 4 years.... so why are we just now emailing this as a concern?!?!?
As a leader in my building, I feel like we need to find a way to change the mentality of teachers. I wonder if changing the school calendar would help. I wonder if giving the teachers lunch would help. I wonder if giving the staff 1/2 day planning would help. Is there anything that will work, or is this a time of year where people need to vent? What are some things your building does to boost the mentality of teachers throughout the year?
I hear you, we are feeling the same way here. First, yes....you need a lunch break. I know that we get wrapped up in the "I can do it all" mentality and forget to take care of ourselves but we all need a mental break during the day, if not for ourselves, then to help with our patience and focus on our students. We also have 1/2 day planning once per quarter, which is very popular with our teachers. Another thing that our new principal has done is to bring around carts with goodies randomly as support for teachers. Today, for example, they came through and offered sweet/salty treats with soda or water to pep us up. They also randomly offer breakfast or little morning treats to boost morale.
ReplyDeleteSomething new that we are beginning next year is a Principal Advisory Team, separate from the ILT. This committee will help admin keep a toe in the water, so to speak, on the climate of the school and will bring teacher concerns or suggestions directly to her. I'm excited to see this implemented as it speaks to our admins determination to stay in touch with our staff and the culture of the school.....
Hang in there.....Spring Break is not too far off, then it's all down hill from there :)
Christina,
ReplyDeleteTeacher burnout around this time is very real. I see it every day.Bernardo provided some excellent ideas. Everyone loves surprise sweet/salty treats, but more importantly 1/2 day planning days are a sure way to preserve teachers.Also, just as teacher burn out is alive and well around this time. I believe student burnout is alive and well too. This is the perfect season for teachers to spice up their instruction and change up things up a bit. A few examples, of spicing up things up may include labs, interactive labs, more active learning, jeopardy, and fun reinforcement games to prepare for Georgia Milestones.
Jamal, you are so right....our kiddos are just as burned out as we are. I love your ideas to help them keep their head in the game!
DeleteChristina,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! As I work with teachers I can see how overwhelmed they are by the many responsibilities they have and the frustration of not having adequate time to devote to what they are passionate about - instruction.
People burn out is real! Yes, I feel that teachers need lunch to themselves or at least "student free". If not everyday, how about 2 or 3 days a week. Maybe a rotating schedule if teachers are needed for lunch duty. I'm not sure how much time the teachers spend planning together and by themselves, but individual planning time or more individual planning time might give more alone time. I value the times when I can be in my classroom alone. I get lots of things done at that time. I am able to think and prepare and be creative. I agree with Jamal that this is the time of the year when the students are restless also and innovative ways of delivering the instruction is needed. Food or snacks are always an energy boost. It also shows the administrators being thoughtful and understanding of the time of the year. It is truly all down hill now! Milestones are done for middle school and preparation for close-out in the works. Just look at it this way, 25 days left, that's 4 more Fridays, 1 or 2 more paychecks or 5 more weeks left.
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