Teachers are crying out for help in Ontario. Teacher morale, defined (Mendel, 1987) as “a feeling, a state of mind, a mental attitude” is uppermost in the minds of those concerned with public education (Lemon, 2000). Teachers are facing an increased complexity in their teaching assignments, in severity of learning needs, in top down reforms and a turnover rate of 50% in administration (Funston, 2000) and 25% of all teachers are new grads (OCETF, 2000).
Teacher morale has been classified in three categories: environmental, interpersonal and intrapersonal stress (Swick, 1980). Environmental stress includes outside factors, such as budget cuts, increased class sizes and new technological advances. Interpersonal stress encompasses the personal relationships we experience at home and at work, and lead teachers to leap to hypercritical conclusions about themselves. They feel they are are under stress, can’t cope, therefore, can’t each and they believe they are inadequate as contributing members of society (Cole & Walker, 1989) .
Stress leaves us feeling powerless and open to undue internal and external pressure. Leaving these problems unresolved results in physical, emotional and health problems. It is in our best interests to determine which challenges require a personal change and which challenges could lead to renewal opportunities new initiatives.
These stresses can be perceived as both a demoralising or an empowering trauma which will either make or break us. Researchers (Dunham, 1992) have been discussing the effects of the pressures of stressful working conditions, and the characteristics of good coping strategies for many years, yet no solutions have emerged to allow teachers to take control of their professional lives. It is through Action Research that we will be able to sustain changes in professional practice and improve learning and working conditions and increase teacher morale.
Action Research is one method of allowing teachers to take control of their professional practice. It cannot be mandated and it needs to be facilitated. This paper demonstrates the need for all stakeholders to empower front line workers to create collaborative communities and to integrate best practices.
Those able to encourage teachers to undertake Action Research include mentors, principals, school boards, Universities, Federations, Ministries and Governments. We need to develop a personal and professional awareness, as never before, to ensure that we meet our individual needs, to stop the erosion of teacher morale before it “increases exponentially” (Lumsden, 1998). We require a collaboration, as yet unrealised, in order to meet the needs of the children we serve.
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Change has been a moving sidewalk on which teachers teeter precariously. New reforms have not compelled teachers to keep up with professional growth demands because they are disempowered and disenfranchised. Teacher bashing in the media, the myth of failing schools (Gallagher, 2000), increased demands for accountability, and teacher testing, have spun stressed teachers faster along the sidewalk until they feel out of control. Personal and professional demands have created a stressed cadre of teacher too weary to keep up with demands on their time and energy.
Stakeholders, parents, taxpayers and governments, have demanded greater accountability in education in demanding that the sidewalk move further and faster, or that it halt altogether and being to teach basics. Massive changes to school systems (Australia, 1999) have resulted in many teachers jumping off of the sidewalk. One new teacher in Ottawa estimates that 30 of her cohort of 100 have quit the profession, choosing alternative careers. Federation representatives estimate that two thirds of LTD claims are stress-related ( Falls, 2001), and Federation officers (Lemon, 2000) have been seeing more severe counselling cases each week. Research articles are looking for cures (Lumsden,1998) but simple solutions are not forthcoming.
Historically, the educational field has not been able to sustain change over time (Hargreaves & Fullan, 1992). In an attempt to create better schools teachers have had change forced upon them (O’Neil, 2000) without a clear vision and focus. It is by becoming change agents (Fullan, 1993) that we will create a personal vision and help us create a vision of where the sidewalk might lead with strength and purpose. We can no longer afford, physically, financially and emotionally to take a chance on top-down directives without establishing systematic reasons for undertaking such change.
Progress will not be made until we understand more about the daily lives of teachers and create professional growth strategies that support the individual (Newman, 1998). While school systems haven’t changed over time, students, teachers and pedagogical practices have developed immeasurably, yet teachers, as a group, have not put new research into practice. It is the difference between teaching thirty years and teaching one year thirty times. When we facilitate opportunities for reflective practice on the part of the class room practitioner we increase opportunities for empowerment and to create a collaborative community of educators. Moffett (2000) says that we must create a professional community in a school to balance reform with high quality staff who will to undertake Professional Development and enact sustainable change. Policies and mandates do not create quality schools.
When we create a synergistic community and establish authentic enquiries into the tools a techniques of good institutions we create a framework for systematic change enquiries (Covey, 1989). The downward spiral of low morale will drag us away from the collective vision of school improvements and will discourage further research and enquiry (Fullan, 1999).
Stress can impel us to resolve a problem, find support, and create solutions to personal and professional dilemmas. It can create extra energy and act as a “motivational kick in the pants.” (Rose, 1993) In the juggle to balance our personal and professional lives, teachers must choose to seek help in balancing their emotional, intellectual, financial, physical, spiritual and intimacy needs.
Environmental stress influences are those in the tangible physical realm of our profession, increased class sizes, reduced human, physical and financial resources. It is results in wide-ranging and inter-connected morale issues as classroom working conditions have become more difficult, budgets have been cut, inadequate instructional materials are available, and integration increases differentiation of program which all costs us time, energy and patience. Keeping our sanity demands that we adapt or lose all control.
Financial and moral support for classroom teachers has been fractured at best. In the past, teachers have been able to manage the change in their professional lives. In this, the Information Age, with the increasingly complex body of knowledge and our changing society, traditional Professional Development activities (Falls, 2001) will not meet our need for change. Gardner, (1999) purports that it only through using our Emotional Intelligence, working smarter to look after our emotional needs in the workplace, that Information-Age workers will make it through these demanding times. Covey’s (1989) concludes that it is only through interdependence that we will realize effectiveness and become proactive, rather than reactive to stress.
These demands on our energies inhibit intellectual growth and renewal and prevent us from moving away from perceiving our work as an unbearable burden (Rud, 1992). It is important to develop ourselves holistically, just as we must focus on the whole child. Rud also points out that by developing pedagogical content and knowledge we will develop personal qualities of intellect and attitude that will carry us through these aforementioned morale busters. Swick (1980) sees the solutions which include intrapersonal growth, formation of growth situations, development of previous skills,the formation of a more effective teaching style and improved well-being.
Intrapersonal issues have a profound effect on the energy a teacher can bring to the curriculum. We seldom take the time to reflect on who we are, what we are doing and why we are placed where we are on the moving sidewalk. As teachers we desire to develop new classroom skills but these desires are slowed down by a beleaguered self-concept and a lack of motivation and energy. Chisolm (2000) states that most reachers are in that sandwich generation, caught between young families and aging parents. The Globe and Mail (Feb. 5/01) cites a Manitoba teachers’ union which sees burnout as rising by 40 percent. In Ontario 15 out of every 1000 teachers are on long term disability claims, compared with air traffic controllers who average 8 per claims per thousand (Fine, 2001).
Those best able to assist teachers include other staff members, system colleagues, principals, Board professional development and research staff, the universities, and the Federations, (Falls,2001). Strong leadership at the school level leads to more effective teaching which leads to greater student achievement (Blase & Kirby, 2000). All must work together to ensure that teacher’s needs are met. Those remotely involved in Board offices, the government, and teacher unions are the least able to effect change (Tyack & Cuban, 1995). Many School Boards have developed mentoring programs (OCETF, 2001a) which provide much needed professional suggestions for improvement,but do not lead to professional growth .
Teacher unions are hard pressed to meet the professional development needs of all members with a range in assignments. Bascia (1998) says that it is up to the Federations to create new strategies to empower teachers on a level as yet unseen. A wide disparity of teaching assignments restricts the ability of teacher unions to create traditional “sit and git” workshops (Fleming, 2000), in large, newly amalgamated school boards. New strategies for personal and professional development must be created to sustain change and improve collaboration, collegiality and conviviality to reculture and restructure our schools (Fullan, 1993).
Government, through demands for student testing and performance based results, persuade taxpayers that by mandating school reforms and extracurricular activities (Gallagher, 2000), at the expense of the former collegiality between principals, teachers and their students, that not only will students become smarter but that we will save money in the process. These cost-cutting measures have simply increased workloads and lowered morale.
Moffett (2000) says that we must create a professional community in schools to balance reform with high quality staff will to undertake Professional Learning and enact sustainable change. Policies and mandates do not create quality schools. Heck, (1990) reports that principal time and attention, clarifying, coordinating, communicating a school vision leads to school achievement, not the regular clinical supervision of teachers. Principals, as managers, are experiencing an incredible downloading of tasks and many are overwhelmed by the paperwork.
Rud (1992) suggests that most educational reforms assume that there is a deficiency, not strength, in educational systems, hence the demand for reforms. He sees teachers primarily as learners and inquirers in a continuous renewal of education and exploration. We are beyond simply understanding learning expectations, we must have pedagogical content knowledge in order to apply best available methods and strategies to allow for uninhibited growth.
Action Research provides an opportunity for teachers to develop professionally by giving them control over their learning needs. An increased sense of agency (Fullan, 1999) will halt the further erosion of teacher morale. Those who care about education must find ways and means to empower themselves to learn and grow, rather than allow skills to remain stagnant (Newman, 1998). Reforms that have the least effect on schools are those laid down by policy makers and senior staff who know little about the collegiality and collaboration possible in a school and know little about the personal and professional issues teachers face on a daily basis (Tyack & Cuban, 1995).
Action Research can involve all stakeholders in creating a collaborative learning environment which will lead to continued professional growth, an increased sense of agency, reduce stress and increase synergy in our schools (Covey, 1989).
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[ Jennifer Jilks | Other articles | Last update: July 24/03 ]