Resignation Hesitation

In the beginning I was a teacher, I grew to be an educator and now find myself seeking to be respected as a professional. The following represents the motivating factors that influenced my decision to resign my role as a public servant and begin the transition into the private sector.

Oh Education, how I have loved being intertwined with your pedagogy, respected by your admirers, growing with each swing of the initiative paradigms, and experiencing the numerous, exuberant characters that entered my classroom each and every period of each and every single day. Education has provided for me the opportunity to coach sports teams to championships, guide Science Fair participants to record breaking gold medals and placements,  mentor youth at risk and aid in their finding a focus and purpose in life.

Parallel to serving the needs of students, Education as a career presented an opportunity to assist fellow educators become more efficient in their respective disciplines through various Professional Development sessions I was able to facilitate; Science Ideas that Motivate, Social Media in the Classroom, Web 2.0 Services for Educators, and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). To top this all off lets go ahead and add in a Masters in Educational Administration degree and that my teacher evaluation holds me as a “Distinguished Educator” as measured by the diagnostic tool for my State.

I share all of this with you not to brag, but rather set the context for the remainder of this post so you may know that what is shared from this point forward is not from a jaded, do nothing, leech on the system individual just biding my time until tenure. I am not a teacher who was only in education for the “summers-off”.

Where to begin…?

Wages – I make less now then I did 6 years ago and have not received a raise in that same amount of time. Sorry, one caveat to that as there was a 1% raise that was accompanied by a 2% increase in Social Security deductions.  This reflects the statistic that being ranked 46th in teacher pay with the average NC teacher making $10,000 less then their cohorts in other states.

But wait, “teaching is not about the money!” and you’re right IT’S NOT!

Parents – Yes, parents can be stressful at times but when one takes into consideration that a parent’s most important job is to ensure the success of their child, one can appreciate the vigorous approach parents take towards education.

Students – No complaints here about the students. Yes, a few tend to annoy a person, but to complain about this a person would have to be a total jerk. They’re kids; get over yourself. I have had amazing students who provided constant checks and balances of ego, kept me up to date on the lingo/music/movies/dress etc… I will miss our daily interactions and professional dynamic the most.

Colleagues – Those with whom I work on a day to day basis have been some of the most innovative, respectful, caring, dedicated individuals I have ever met and tears will be shed for this loss. If you have a moment give the Lunch Crew a read and you’ll know what I mean.

What, then? What can be left…?

Leadership – Well, we have finally arrived to the heart of this post.

http://www.lolwall.co/lol/264722

During the past four years the leadership that governed my day to day existence was one of a Leader, not that of a Boss (see above image for clarification). Now, we all have issues or disagreements in one area or another with coworkers and Leaders; there are people few and far between that may agree 100% with our thoughts and pedagogy, and that’s okay; we all should not think the same. I had freedom to create, innovate, expand, and push the limits of creativity in the classroom.  Because of this freedom and trust, I was willing to accept those things I didn’t agree with, and any discontent was marginalized through this filter of reciprocity.

If trust in the teachers is removed, innovation will be stifled. If the creative freedoms of educators are actively suppressed, the climate of engagement at a school will drastically change. The preceding examples correspond with a Boss mentality:

 Do as I say not as I do. Do it because I said so. I don’t have to explain my actions. Loyalty that is to rise but seldom does it trickle down and pleasantries are feigned only when a specialized skill set service is required and arbitrary decisions of restructuring are implemented.

All of the above qualifications are symptoms rather than the sickness. That which is lacking, the true sickness, is that of a mission, vision, purpose, focus; what is lacking, to bring it all under one concise term, is a Philosophy.

In a profession like education there are two distinct sides to the profession: instructional and administrative. Although in the past I may have vehemently disagreed with my next comment, I have come to see some truth in it. An Administrator is better off having classroom experience. The obvious caveat to this is in respect to those duties that tend to focus solely on the business side of education, those duties being strictly administrative in scope. However; when instruction and the overall vision of the school is at stake having a background in the classroom is essential. It is always quite apparent when a Boss lacks an Educational Philosophy because lacking, too, are viable explanations for decisions perpetrated on their staff.

It is really easy to create an environment where teachers feel undervalued, under-appreciated, underpaid, and under the bus: when teachers are met with over-zealous, over-reaching,  overt retributive actions by a Boss. I know; I’ve lived it and seen others around me drown in it as well. A Boss can count for only so long on the philanthropic nature of the classroom teacher until the stark malevolent reality must be addressed.

So what do teachers do in this situation? THEY LEAVE. A teacher may choose to transfer to a new school or they may even leave education altogether. Teachers with any years of experience know that, at heart, there is little deviation between school aged children of similar socio-economic status regardless of City, State, and yes even Country and having taught in another country I know this to be true.

I know what you’re all wondering, and the answer is YES, I too have now left Education after defining myself as an Educator for thirteen years. For me, it is about Leadership. It is about seeing the same traits in administrative Bosses time and time again and realizing that no matter how I could try to shoe horn myself into a Boss role, my philosophy will never match the foot print. Boundaries are self imposed limits to which one can choose to duck under the orange safety ribbon and abound in the pleasantry of freedom and innovation afforded by such an act. Or one could choose not to transcend into an unknown and stay on the beaten path or beaten on the path.

I choose to duck under that ribbon and I cannot wait to see what awaits. How about you?

The following are related articles and content that I just did not have the ability to address in this post. Please take the time to read what these Educators had to say about their experiences:

A Warning to Young People: Don’t Become a Teacher

Teacher’s resignation letter: ‘My profession … no longer exists’

A letter from a disgusted teacher: I QUIT

Reciprocity

This is entry 3 in a series. If you would like to read the preceding posts in the series follow the links: I did what now?! and Compliance

Simply said: I do for you and you do for me. On the surface one may feel that the only reason why someone would act within the guide of reciprocity is the expectation of return action. Reciprocity goes much deeper than that. Give and take elements govern the majority of our relationships whether or not you may recognize the subtle exchanges that take place. Exchanges can range from; an emotional fulfillment from a caring friend, assisting in moving, sharing responsibilities, assisting in the completion of errands/tasks, intellectual support and the like.

Although many of the exchanges listed may lend themselves in retrospection, to our more personal relationships they are present in our work life. Ever have a coworker ask for your help in completing a task? Reading over their report? Making those last few copies? Covering for them (insert reason here)? Recovering that lost document? These, along with a myriad of examples bouncing around in your thoughts, are reciprocal actions. We help because we know that at some point we are going to need help.

No man is an Isand, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the belltolls; It tolls for thee.

– A famous line from “Meditation XVII,” by the English poet John Donne

 

If, as individuals, we could handle all that is placed upon us there would never have been ingrained in humanity the division of labor and communal living that has led to our survival as a species. This holds true for the workplace as well. As a community in the workplace we rely on one another’s assistance in both task completion and emotional wellbeing. Harm to either one of these safeties will have far reaching effects. As I discussed in Compliance the repercussions can run deep through an institution where reciprocity is replaced by demand.

 

So what needs to happen?

Be nice!

Communication before action.

Allocate resources to ensure success.

Always help those who need you.

Don’t act with the sole intention of reciprocal action.

Be nice! oh wait did I mention that?

Set personal agendas aside and do what is best in the situation that will have positive long lasting effects (if you don’t know the best course of action then talk with your cohorts).

Realize that people have sought you out because they think you are capable of helping them. Help them!

Make sure that within whatever role you play that you have afforded those you work with every possible opportunity for success.

Lastly… BE NICE! (I guess we just cannot get away from that one).

Compliance

Every role places us into an environment of expectations. Job, family, community, and to each of these a specific set of governing rules. In particular I d like to focus on the job and embedded expectation that accompany any workplace.
From a management perspective Compliance in the workplace may be leveraged in several ways; Investment by an employee in the total scope and purpose of the company, positive incentives such as monitary gains as interwoven in benchmarks and successful project completions, or the altruistic sense in assureing the success of your clients and the long term relationship gained. Knowing that the preceding list is far from comprehensive, all that I have mentioned is on the good side of compliance. Good as qualified by those actions that connect to a higher purpose in work and serving the needs of the client.
Now wouldn’t it be nice if we could end there and be happy? If only work life was so rose colored. Alas we too must delve into the mier of compliance as dictated by negative incentives; authoritarianism, threats, personal retributions, the arbitray restructuring of focus and support, and generated instability within the work force.
It is my hope that from those of you who read this post your day to day work life motivation is derived from the list of positives rather than being under the heavy weight of negative disincentives. However, for those fall prey to the latter, the rest of this post is for you…
“DO IT BECAUSE I SAID SO!” A simple utterance posited to nearly every child throughout history in an attempt to gain compliance from a parent. Well, I am not a child!
I am an adult with 13 years of experience in my discipline and have a track record of commitment, creativity, conscience and consultation (along with a little alliteration) to best achieve desired out comes. So why is it that I feel like a child when demands are levied upon me in the fashion of: “Do this, NOW!”
Personality defaults aside we all react in the same way when a higher up levies a demand in this manner and although some of you may be better at hiding your disdain at the time, the fumes of discontent eventually rise engulfing your demeanor and seep into the fibers of your being. As we sit in this fog of frustration along with the recollection of events playing back an ever present “who do they think they are?” Resounds and each echo carrying with it the expectation of respect and the violation held in the exchange.
What to do? Some will continue on doing their job with little to no affect, others may seek an alternative place of employment and others may subtly undermine the system though various forms of malfesient. However something worse may take hold; they just might meet expectations rather than exceeding as they once may have done. This last response, although sounding quite miniscule in retaliation, actually caries with it the most subtle and far reaching act of retribution in non compliance then those preceding it as optioned. I say this as not only has the individual made a conscience choice in opposition to the individual who is at the core of the disrespectful action but too those in proximity and that may request of the individual an extension into action that was once customary. The loss can be compounded depending on the size of the social leverage the new dissident carries as they may inspire others to inaction and a slow down of productivity.
Imagine all of this from an ill formed heiracically based command demanding conformity of action resulting in grotesque obsolescence of employee engagement when there are many other more positive ways to leverage action within the workplace.

Stay tuned for leveraging via resiprosity…

I did what now?!

On leading…

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are numerous articles and texts that a person can read that may provide guidance in developing leadership skills, unfortunately, this is not one. Rather this is an anecdote illustrating the impact of lacking such skills.

Throughout education training and classroom management skills development, the concept of treating those who enter your classroom as individuals with unique experience and thoughts to share is touted quite vehemently. Support their learning and encourage each individual and success will be achieved, easy enough right? Well, how about this situation? For those teachers out there reading this I would bet a month’s wage, just think you can get yourself a tank of gas and maybe a coke, that you have had this experience… A student is in proximity to other students who are misbehaving. Not fully knowing the breadth of the situation you pull the group together and reprimand them all guilty and not. You may have achieved your desired goal of setting those misbehaving students back on their academic course, however; are you aware of the unintended consequences of your actions?

Through your actions you have created a new dissident among your ranks. That one non guilty student whose guilt lies only in proximity to the event now sees their experience lined with distrust and Machiavellian actions governing their environment. Is there any way to reconcile these new found understandings dwelling within this student? Maybe, however; at its core there is no way to repair the damage done within the relationship. To be wrongly accused of an action and to receive no conciliatory acknowledgement has to be one of the most disengaging acts held between two people. Damaged as it may be a person well aware of the situational power dynamics that govern actions in hierarchical relationships realize that the outcome in action can be narrowed to only one end course of action, Compliance.

To be continued…

Keep an eye out for the upcoming posts:

On Compliance and On Reciprocity