We as Educators need to Change Education from the Ground Up

We as educators need to change education from the ground up. Statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics December 6, 2022, stated that as of October 2022 that 4% of all public schools’ teaching positions were vacant. The average public school had 2 openings. It also states that 18% of public schools had one teaching vacancy and 27% had multiple vacancies. An article about teacher shortage and recruitment by Mcloughlin (2023) states that teacher shortages in the USA are twice as high as in other countries. It is compared to well-respected education systems like Finland and Singapore. And 90% of open teaching positions are created by teachers who leave the profession.

How can we change education from the ground up? There are so many things that cause teachers to leave the profession. Many surveys say ½ to 1/3 teachers are planning to leave the profession soon or within the next couple of years. We as educators need to change the perspective of the profession from the ground up. There are so many issues for teachers to deal with from standardized testing. The initiatives and requirements from administrators and the state requirements. In addition to so many poor administrators not providing a supportive and cooperative environment. If we the teachers could just teach the children in our care, we would all stay. It is extremely difficult to be a teacher. So many pressures are upon teachers. However, we need to make small changes to feel positive about our work.

The first thing we need to do is stop going on social media and complaining about our profession. Find a confidant to talk with. Do not go to the teachers’ lounge and complain. It just spreads negativity. My professor told us never to go to the teacher’s lounge. The teachers in the lounge are vultures and prey on our negativity. If we stop publicly complaining, it may change. The media will say there is no story at schools except for how great the children are doing. Media companies I feel only look for sensational stories. Think about what sells. Positive stories really don’t sell, negative ones do.

Second, feel secure in your classroom and believe that you know what to do for the children in your care. Yes, there are a plethora of requirements and strategies. But they don’t know your students and their needs. If you have questions, ask your confidant and others. Show your students their growth to parents, administrators, and district personnel. Positive growth will provide you with support. Even if you teach more difficult populations like special education or English Language Learners show the growth of your students. Be more proactive to show what positive things your students are doing. We need to show positive experiences in our classrooms.

Lastly, build a positive relationship with your families/parents. Having a great relationship with your parents provide you with a team to support you. Teacher and parent relationships are not one-sided. Think about getting to know your families about what they like and some of their struggles. You are not there to solve their issues. But understanding and acknowledging their struggles will go a long way. Build a relationship with your parents to show the children we are in this together for their success. Also, parents do have questions about the education of their children. Parents only want the best for their children. Show the parents things they didn’t even know about their children. They will be grateful.

We can change the view of education from the ground up. It starts with all of us teachers, administrators, parents, and state personnel. We need to see education in a positive light and show the world what we can do with educating children.

References

McLoughlin, D. (2023, May 15). Teacher shortage and recruitment statistics. Wordsrated. Retrieved from  https://wordsrated.com/teacher-shortage-and-recruitment-statistics/

National Center for Education Statistics. (2022, Dec. 6).Forty- five percent of public schools operating without a full teaching staff in October, new NCES data show. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/press_releases/12_6_2022.asp#:~:text=As%20of%20October%202022%2C%204,percent%20had%20multiple%20teaching%20vacancies.