Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Shortage of Teachers

    Posted 06-30-2021 12:30 AM
    Occasionally when we were short teachers I looked at the classroom from a different angel: Could the group size be reduced by 1 or 2 without financially hurting, Could my senior teachers work overtime or a split shift, Would people stay if they had assistance throughout the day during ie: feedings, diaper changes, outside time, help with that challenging child.  Just a helper who went in a room maybe for an hour or 45 minutes then on to another class in need & so on.  We even shortened our hours of operations opposed to opening at 6:30am we open at 7am.  Saved 30 minutes did the same at night.  Oppose to giving raises we did if you had a 100% attendance you earned a bonus.  It's similar to paying someone a higher wage rate your just not locked into the wage daily.  It's a challenging time with hiring & retaining.  Ask your senior teachers to help recruit.  Build from what makes you stand out if you have good management skills & people skills & if teachers enjoy the environment build on those facts & possibly teachers will stay.  Don't loose sight of why we do this.  We all make a difference for a child.  Teachers don't like to here oh were short today, or so & so called in keep that private & just be upbeat & maybe you will see a difference.  They are their for a reason it's not always the pay, don't be afraid to ask your senior teachers for help.  Or even ask your parents for help pick up early if possible as it will help with evening ratio's.  For example a parent might get off at 5pm if they know you need help they might pick up shortly after 5pm oppose to waiting until 6pm pick up.   Hope this gives a little encouragement.

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    Jill Wines
    Lubbock TX
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  • 2.  RE: Shortage of Teachers

    Posted 07-01-2021 07:46 AM
    Jill that is a great way to think out of the box!

    --
    Allyson Ball
    Director of Children's Ministry
    Southport United Methodist Church
    317-780-4624





  • 3.  RE: Shortage of Teachers

    Posted 07-20-2021 07:12 PM
    Teacher Shortage:
    Teacher shortage is a complex and complicated situation. There are several reasons for teacher shortage; the salary is not attractive, the work is tedious and challenging, there are insufficient support, the resources are limited and the list goes on. Often teachers have to shop out of pocket to ensure that there are materials to complete the tasks set out in the syllabus. Doing all these without much support is a great cause for burnout. Lack of parental support also affect the progress of the students.
    What can we do about teacher shortage? It is a question still not fully addressed as there is no one set solution to rectify this dire situation. The classrooms may have to downsize or on the contrary, there could be too many students to one teacher, making it impossible almost to reach each student to maximize their potential. Yes, at times we may ask non-working parents to come in and assist but that could also stunt the cognitive capabilities of students because most parents are not skilled with the knowledge or to deescalate a behavior that might occur inside the classroom. 
    Clear solutions would be to raise the salary, assist teachers with relevant resources, lend support in the area of motivation, school community efforts, accolades and helping teachers develop coping skills and mechanisms from workshops etc, to avoid burnout and disruptions teaching/learning moments.
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    Shirlet Halliday
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    Shirlet Halliday
    Master of Science in Health Psychology
    Santa Maria CA
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