Teacher Working Conditions Affect Student Performance

• Teacher feels that his/her salary is fair for the work done.
• Teacher has enough time for planning and grading.
• School does not have problems with threats to teachers or staff by students.
• School does not have problems with disorderly student behavior.
• Teacher is treated as a professional by community.
• Teacher has adequate involvement in team building and problem-solving.
• Teacher has adequate ability to influence policies that affect him/her.
• Teacher has adequate time for classroom instruction.

What does this mean for us in the classroom? Just as students need a nurturing environment where they have a voice, feel safe, and have respect, so too, do teachers.

Often we talk about what’s best for students without regard to what’s best for teachers. These two goals aren’t mutually exclusive. Benefiting teachers and making them happy to come to work ultimately benefits the students, too. The researchers at the National Academy of Education concluded that high quality teachers need a higher social status, monetary incentives to stay in the field, good working conditions, and opportunities for meaningful professional development. Students, of course, need high quality teachers.

In a time when schools are slashing budgets and benefits, how can we keep morale up? We can support one another. According to the Metlife survey, new teachers are three times as likely to leave the profession if they feel like their colleagues don’t support them. We might be rushing to the copier before the first bell or setting up a lab, but making time for our fellow teachers is a change we can make today. We might not be able to solve our district’s budget crisis, but we can certainly improve the culture in our corner of the building.