"Teachers are critical to student success, but the profession of teaching is in crisis. In Ensuring Teachers Matter: Where to Focus First So Students Matter Most, Shelly Wilfong and Ryan Donlan remind us that supporting students does not mean we cannot support teachers, and they argue that a sense of mattering, or feeling meaningfully significant, is the key to this support. Drawing from original research, the authors introduce eight essential elements that schools need to have for teachers to feel that they matter"--
Teachers are critical to student success, but the profession of teaching is in crisis. When teachers feel a sense of purpose or meaningful significance, it leads to better student achievement, less burnout, and higher job satisfaction. Drawing from original research, this practical resource introduces eight essential elements of mattering that schools need to have for teachers to feel they matter.
This book will help K12 teachers:- Learn how to integrate less pleasant aspects of the job with ones values to achieve a goal
- Use the foundational elements of mattering survey and other tools to effect substantive school change
- Make smaller-scale changes to the work environment to meet individual needs
- Understand the purpose and importance of each element of mattering
- Learn about leaders obligations when it comes to mattering and what teachers should expect from them
- Explore the implications of all eight elements of mattering for teachers and leaders
Contents:Introduction: A Blinding Flash of the ObviousThe What and Why of Mattering
Chapter 1: Celebrating the Team, Not Just the ScoreCommunity
Chapter 2: Embracing What You See, and Thats a Whole Lot of MeAuthenticity
Chapter 3: Getting Lost in the Moment, With a Good Crowd AroundFlow
Chapter 4: Staying the Course, En Route to My WhyPurpose
Chapter 5: Seeing the Downside as a Necessary UpsideAssimilation
Chapter 6: Getting Real With How We Stack UpCompensation
Chapter 7: Taking Care to Take CareStability
Chapter 8: Letting Things Be LooseTightJob Crafting
Chapter 9: Putting It All TogetherSmarter Stuff That Matters
Epilogue: A Fair Adieu
References and Resources
Index