What are the main areas of concern for educational leaders?
I have worked in several schools and had many leadership positions. The resignation rate of Headteachers and Principals is at an all-time high.
The retention rate for teachers is at an all-time low, with many newly qualified teachers (NQT), fresh from teacher training, not registering as teachers because their experiences leave them feeling that they will not get the support they need to cope with challenging students and parents.
For early career teachers (ECT) with less than five years’ experience, the figures are also quite shocking with many leaving the profession for better paid and more rewarding positions.
It is the lack of support that is often cited as a major factor for leaving the profession.
As a professional coach who works with teachers at various stages of their careers, I can share the top 5 concerns of school leaders:
1. Dealing with challenging parents and students.
2. Dealing with staff issues/conflicts.
3. Budgets.
4. Demands upon an increasingly tight timetable.
5. Results and the community perception of school performance.
In a survey that I did with a large group of teachers with various levels of experience as part of an MBA research assignment, I asked what impact coaching from their line manager had on their performance and well-being?
Regardless of the level of experience, it was a feeling that the individual lacked control over workload that appeared in the top five of all responses.
For NQT’s this was of equal importance with wanting to make a good impression with colleagues and students.
For the more experienced teachers it was not having time to reflect on, and manage, their own careers that they felt was impacting their well-being. In the highest performing departments, a skilled coach had made a massive positive impact in all areas of their performance.
For all you teachers and teacher leaders out there, what have I missed?
What are your most pressing concerns?
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