Since we live and teach in the age of SOLs and NCLB, there is a definite increase in the accountability placed on the entire school community. To some, the requirements can become overwhelming and to others, the standards and mandates seem restricting. Based on your own experiences, how do you feel administrators can effectively motivate teachers.
I think that the best way to motivate teachers is through modeling. Administrators need to show some teaches, or have other master teachers model good instruction. SOLs should not be constrictive. Teaching all the SOLs through out the year is not difficult to accomplish if you teach them and don't get sidetracked. I think most teachers teach way beyond what is required - which is a good thing - but not at the price of not covering what needs to be covered. The SOLs are written as strict guidelines; teach them and come back to the extra things later. This technique reviews at the end and enables teachers to cover all SOLs.
Motivation can be presented in many ways. Sometimes, just a simple note in my mailbox or email complimenting a lesson is a great motivator for me. Positive reinforcement works with teachers as well as students. Our administrators will take our classes once a semester and allow us to go out to breakfast or lunch for our grade level meetings. By allowing us time to relax and talk, we come back refreshed and motivated for the week or unit we are working on. I think being told you are appreciated helps maintain that positive attitude and excitement about lessons. We don't have to match every lesson with an SOL; our administrator is very trusting.
I think the best way an administrator can motivate teachers is to support them in the classroom. We know what we are supposed to teach by using our sols and curriculum guides. Let us have the freedom to teach the material creatively and a style that all the students can learn. If we know that we are supported then we do a much better job.
Administrators can motivate teachers in several ways. It all starts with an administrator choosing the correct personality to fit the schools climate. Once teachers have similar goals and expectations a community is built. Within that community, the administrator has already set up peer support. When teachers have colleagues that have similar expectations, the administrator has motivated teachers to work together. There are certain freedoms that administrators can allow, if SOLs and district goals are met and exceeded, the administrator still have the responsibility to keep positive talk among all teachers and continue to give positive feedback: through letters, emails, conferences, and pass bys. posted by Jim
I believe effective motivation takes time to master because not everyone is motivated by the same means. Therefore, an administrator needs to have a personal relationship with each staff member. He/She must make an effort to connect with them and learn what makes them really tick. Then, the administrator will know the actions he/she must take to effectively motivate. Positive reinforcement...a good pat on the back...always makes teachers feel appreciated and valued. The problem is that there is a lot more to motivating people than just making them feel important. I like to feel important but what motivates me is a challenge.
With the advent of higher accountability, it is very common for teachers to feel overwhelmed with the expectations. I have also seen teachers who feel they have no freedom to do creative things in the classroom because of the need to "teach to the standard". This poses a great challenge to administrators to keep teachers motivated in this environment. I feel the way to begin this is by giving teachers a voice in the setting of rules and policies specific to, and decided by the school. When they feel they have a voice that is being heard, they will feel much more empowered to do an effective job. Also, I feel it is important to let teachers teach in their own style, giving them the opportunity to be flexible in their pedagogy, while adhering to the SOL standards.
Teachers can be motivated in many different ways. Personally, as others have mentioned, I want to feel noticed, appreciated, and valued for what I do. Positive comments, emails, etc., do wonders for my attitude. On a bigger scale, this past year we had a wonderful motivational speaker talk to us our first week back to school, which kind of inspired the whole faculty and reminded us why we became teachers in the first place. My principal is also very supportive of teachers attending conferences and workshops, which are great ways to become refreshed and revived with new ideas and energy. But most importantly, I feel that principals do need to make the effort to get to know their teachers and ask what they can do to help teachers in their classrooms. Creating a climate of "we're all in this together" would go a long way in preventing burnout and the feeling that some teachers have of being the only one struggling.
Principals must be able to make their teachers feel good about what they are doing. Teachers want to feel appreciated and needed. A pricipal must do all he or she can to keep good people in the profession. Motivation is a key component. Depending on their personality, a principal can motivate in may ways from a simple note in a mailbox or email to a positive compliment in person. Principals must keep their schools from becoming ill. A positive attitude with teachers is a good way to start.
I like the idea of teachers as "origins" rather than "pawns" that is introduced in chapter 15. A teacher that finds meaning and purpose in their work has strong motivation to succeed. A person that is trusted to execute their job responsibilities and held accountable for the results has a positive professional environment, given that the expected results are reasonable and supported. I remember reading one time that "people will put up with almost any HOW if they have a WHY." I took this to mean that people can adapt to different challenging environments and even adversity if they know they are working towards a greater good. Richard Moon
I feel that the best way for administrators to motivate teachers is through support, letting them know that they are not in the ditchs alone, that the entire burden of student achievement is on their shoulders. Motivation in this instance does not come from extrinsic means, but from the feeling that we are in this fight together for the good of the school, the student, and each other.
11 comments:
Since we live and teach in the age of SOLs and NCLB, there is a definite increase in the accountability placed on the entire school community. To some, the requirements can become overwhelming and to others, the standards and mandates seem restricting. Based on your own experiences, how do you feel administrators can effectively motivate teachers.
I think that the best way to motivate teachers is through modeling. Administrators need to show some teaches, or have other master teachers model good instruction. SOLs should not be constrictive. Teaching all the SOLs through out the year is not difficult to accomplish if you teach them and don't get sidetracked. I think most teachers teach way beyond what is required - which is a good thing - but not at the price of not covering what needs to be covered. The SOLs are written as strict guidelines; teach them and come back to the extra things later. This technique reviews at the end and enables teachers to cover all SOLs.
Motivation can be presented in many ways. Sometimes, just a simple note in my mailbox or email complimenting a lesson is a great motivator for me. Positive reinforcement works with teachers as well as students. Our administrators will take our classes once a semester and allow us to go out to breakfast or lunch for our grade level meetings. By allowing us time to relax and talk, we come back refreshed and motivated for the week or unit we are working on. I think being told you are appreciated helps maintain that positive attitude and excitement about lessons. We don't have to match every lesson with an SOL; our administrator is very trusting.
I think the best way an administrator can motivate teachers is to support them in the classroom. We know what we are supposed to teach by using our sols and curriculum guides. Let us have the freedom to teach the material creatively and a style that all the students can learn. If we know that we are supported then we do a much better job.
Administrators can motivate teachers in several ways. It all starts with an administrator choosing the correct personality to fit the schools climate. Once teachers have similar goals and expectations a community is built. Within that community, the administrator has already set up peer support. When teachers have colleagues that have similar expectations, the administrator has motivated teachers to work together. There are certain freedoms that administrators can allow, if SOLs and district goals are met and exceeded, the administrator still have the responsibility to keep positive talk among all teachers and continue to give positive feedback: through letters, emails, conferences, and pass bys.
posted by Jim
I believe effective motivation takes time to master because not everyone is motivated by the same means. Therefore, an administrator needs to have a personal relationship with each staff member. He/She must make an effort to connect with them and learn what makes them really tick. Then, the administrator will know the actions he/she must take to effectively motivate. Positive reinforcement...a good pat on the back...always makes teachers feel appreciated and valued. The problem is that there is a lot more to motivating people than just making them feel important. I like to feel important but what motivates me is a challenge.
JONATHAN PAIT'S BLOG
With the advent of higher accountability, it is very common for teachers to feel overwhelmed with the expectations. I have also seen teachers who feel they have no freedom to do creative things in the classroom because of the need to "teach to the standard". This poses a great challenge to administrators to keep teachers motivated in this environment. I feel the way to begin this is by giving teachers a voice in the setting of rules and policies specific to, and decided by the school. When they feel they have a voice that is being heard, they will feel much more empowered to do an effective job. Also, I feel it is important to let teachers teach in their own style, giving them the opportunity to be flexible in their pedagogy, while adhering to the SOL standards.
Teachers can be motivated in many different ways. Personally, as others have mentioned, I want to feel noticed, appreciated, and valued for what I do. Positive comments, emails, etc., do wonders for my attitude. On a bigger scale, this past year we had a wonderful motivational speaker talk to us our first week back to school, which kind of inspired the whole faculty and reminded us why we became teachers in the first place. My principal is also very supportive of teachers attending conferences and workshops, which are great ways to become refreshed and revived with new ideas and energy. But most importantly, I feel that principals do need to make the effort to get to know their teachers and ask what they can do to help teachers in their classrooms. Creating a climate of "we're all in this together" would go a long way in preventing burnout and the feeling that some teachers have of being the only one struggling.
Principals must be able to make their teachers feel good about what they are doing. Teachers want to feel appreciated and needed. A pricipal must do all he or she can to keep good people in the profession. Motivation is a key component. Depending on their personality, a principal can motivate in may ways from a simple note in a mailbox or email to a positive compliment in person. Principals must keep their schools from becoming ill. A positive attitude with teachers is a good way to start.
I like the idea of teachers as "origins" rather than "pawns" that is introduced in chapter 15. A teacher that finds meaning and purpose in their work has strong motivation to succeed. A person that is trusted to execute their job responsibilities and held accountable for the results has a positive professional environment, given that the expected results are reasonable and supported. I remember reading one time that "people will put up with almost any HOW if they have a WHY." I took this to mean that people can adapt to different challenging environments and even adversity if they know they are working towards a greater good.
Richard Moon
I feel that the best way for administrators to motivate teachers is through support, letting them know that they are not in the ditchs alone, that the entire burden of student achievement is on their shoulders. Motivation in this instance does not come from extrinsic means, but from the feeling that we are in this fight together for the good of the school, the student, and each other.
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