Todd Whitaker, American educator, author, and motivational speaker, stated:
"The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters every day."
In a recent interview, Tom Looney asked me to "Think back to when I was in school and who was someone that engaged you or inspired you?" I was surprised by how quickly Mr. Sullivan came to mind. On our first day, Mr. Sullivan was my freshman high school English teacher who played Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of silence." He played it repeatedly, breaking down the verse, chorus, and bridge and engaging everyone in the classroom about what the lyrics meant to them and what the songwriters were trying to communicate to the listener. At that end of class, he had me hooked, and I was excited to attend a class on a subject I didn't like, music I never followed, and to this day, I still love that song.
Gus Schmedlen said on my podcast, Discussing Leadership and the future of learning, "Before COVID-19 struck, 34% of surveyed teachers said they wanted to leave teaching or were considering leaving education. After COVID, it was 54%*. So there needs to be support for one of society's most important roles, which are teachers."
If 54% of our teachers are thinking about leaving education, something is broken and needs to be fixed immediately.
Over the last 18 months, I have observed how Teachers have been bearing the brunt of frustrated parents and policies dealing with remote learning making their jobs incredibly difficult to perform.
Take politics out of the equation and think about the situation with empathy.
How would you feel if you had to do your job without the proper training, equipment, and support to be as effective as you were in the classroom? Think about all the disadvantaged children without the appropriate technology and internet access to support remote learning? How does a teacher bridge that gap? Add in the complexities of new online tools and disruptions at home that so many of us have experienced as our children, spouses, partners, and roommates were all in the same position. I am not surprised at all to hear that 54% are thinking of leaving the profession.
Please take a moment, and if you haven't already thanked your teachers and staff for all their hard work, you should. While you may disagree with specific policies, it will be devastating to lose teachers who make so much of a difference in our children's lives.
*A survey from the nonprofit publication Education Week
