Why Do Teachers Stay?

[Jmccallum]

We’re kicking this week off with our first weekly discussion post and I invite you to respond, share, and engage in the comments of this thread throughout the week!

As a former English Language Arts (ELAR) educator, I can still remember the schools and leadership that made me want to stay, and the ones where I struggled to make it through the year. In retrospect, it was never just about pay or policies. It was about trust, belonging, and the people who made me feel like what I did mattered and made a difference.

➡️ Have you ever asked your teachers why they stay? If you haven’t yet, what makes that conversation hard to start? Have you ever thought about how you might use AI to brainstorm some ideas for this?  

Sometimes we learn the most by making room, and a concerted effort to listen to the positives, and not just explore what is “broken”.  We can choose to learn about what’s working quietly in the background that keeps people rooted. I’d love to hear what this looks or sounds like in your school.

P.S. Be sure to check back in tomorrow, as my colleague, Dr. McNeil, shares a helpful resource to help you do just that!

[kmcneil]

Thanks for kicking off our discussion, Jasmine! I am not a principal but I do work in a coaching and mentoring capacity with a lot of teachers. While I'm not often in a position of asking them why they choose to stay, I am in the position where they will confide in me and share their thoughts and feelings about their current roles (which often includes that they want to leave or sometimes why they choose to stay or more subtly, just what they love about what they do).

Any conversation I have with any educator though always starts with a lot of trust and building a safe space for them where I convey to them what my role is and that I am there to listen and support. Listening is also a key thing. I think in roles of leadership, mentorship, coaching, etc. it can be all too easy to go into a conversation (especially if you have limited time) with an idea of what you want to say, without actually gaining trust or taking the time to listen to who you are talking to in the first place. It's actually pretty simple 🙂 Just don't talk, and just ask and listen. 

I have completed training as a professional, as a teacher and advisor to middle school and as a graduate student with the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Leader in Me series (inspired by the same habits). I am not sales pitching here but Habit 5 has stuck with me since I was first introduced over 20 years ago to it as one of the most impactful: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. 

https://www.franklincovey.com/courses/the-7-habits/habit-5/

[mosesn]

Happy Monday all!

  At the beginning of my Principalship, I would not have asked this question, as I knew the reason people were leaving.  The reason this was not ask is because I was not ready to hear the feedback and I was new.  I did, however, ask the question, what changes do you want to see in the school, and how can your gifts and talents help us shift to that change.  This question helped me understand what the teachers and staff valued in the school and in themselves.

Now, the conversations are natural and genuine, because trust has been built.  This is built in our data chats (asking for support and changes) and in the exit survey for teachers and staff when they resign.  My turnover in the beginning years (Year 1--3) was over 60%.  We were in status, there werent any consistent systems, and as shifts were made, people did not want to be held accountable.

In recent years (3-5), they are staying because they believe in the vision and accountability, and they feel a sense of trust and belonging not just to the school but the community they live in and serve.

[nschiner]

Ohhh, I totally get that feeling of not asking because you don't want to hear it. It's so tough when you're new in a leadership role and already feeling overwhelmed. I love that the vision and accountability standards that have been put in place are building trust and belonging.