ASCD Blog: Rehumanizing the Teaching Profession
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Associate Professor Betina Hsieh asked current and former preK-12 teachers to participate in a 75-question survey on their personal and professional identities. The survey—adapted from her own research and a survey given by colleagues in France—asked a variety of multiple choice and open-ended questions about teachers’ identities, experiences, and outlooks on the future of education.
She was overwhelmed by the number and nature of the responses she received:
“The school places so many demands on its teachers and expects them to dedicate their time, energy, and efforts outside of their clock hours…. The work never ends—I leave school and work on lesson plans at home or paperwork. This job has made me neglect myself, my family, and my friends…. I feel like I can only deal with this career another year at most; I am definitely looking for an out ASAP. There is no way to make this work in a healthy way for me—the public education system in the U.S. is broken.” –Anonymous
What can education leaders and others committed to supporting teachers do to address the systemic crisis of dehumanization and the accompanying teacher retention crisis? In reflecting on these questions, talking to teacher friends, and considering her own experiences in schools and higher education, Berina offers three related cultural shifts that can bring us closer to rehumanizing teaching, in schools and society.
Read the full piece here.
She was overwhelmed by the number and nature of the responses she received:
“The school places so many demands on its teachers and expects them to dedicate their time, energy, and efforts outside of their clock hours…. The work never ends—I leave school and work on lesson plans at home or paperwork. This job has made me neglect myself, my family, and my friends…. I feel like I can only deal with this career another year at most; I am definitely looking for an out ASAP. There is no way to make this work in a healthy way for me—the public education system in the U.S. is broken.” –Anonymous
What can education leaders and others committed to supporting teachers do to address the systemic crisis of dehumanization and the accompanying teacher retention crisis? In reflecting on these questions, talking to teacher friends, and considering her own experiences in schools and higher education, Berina offers three related cultural shifts that can bring us closer to rehumanizing teaching, in schools and society.
Read the full piece here.
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