8 Ways Teacher Retention part 1

8 ways to improve teacher retention part 1. This is part 1 of my review of
8 ways administration can make teaching more sustainable by “Principal Lamb“.

Intro

Before I get started with the 8, let me say that teacher retention has become a big problem in the last several years. Our world has changed. People won’t stick around in a job just because it’s a consistent paycheck. The boss/administrator must WORK to keep good teachers at their school.

These 8 items are an excellent step in the right direction for any administrator who wants to keep their good teachers. And, these items are great advice for administrators who want to keep their great teachers working effectively.

Cancel the meeting

Meetings. Everyone hates meetings. Do we need them?

I believe that we need some in person meetings. We can’t and shouldn’t cancel all meetings. But, many of them are a waste of time.

Leaders must run high quality meetings. I recommend Patrick Lencioni’s book, Death by Meeting. Lencioni details 4 different types of meetings and what those meetings should look like. Click here for more info.

If you want to upset your staff, have a monthly meeting that exists simply because, “That’s what we always do.”.

Provide supplies

Item #2 is: Provide teachers with pencils and paper, don’t make them pay out of pocket.

There is an enormous amount of money that flows through a school. Why would you make your teachers provide their own classroom paper and pencils? Or, why would you tell them to ask the parents to bring in paper?

If you want your teachers to behave like professionals then treat them like doctors and lawyers. Can you imagine going to a lawyers office and being asked if you brought a legal pad? What if your doctor asked you for a pencil?

I hate misusing the words of Jesus, but I can’t resist. You are “Straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.” – Matthew 23:24. This is a relatively small thing that you can do that will pay big dividends with your staff.

There must be ways that you can fund paper and pencils.

More next time

That’s all for this post. I’ll continue next time with next two items on the list which include: lesson plan submission and planning periods.