Introduction

    Teacher morale is an idea that is often not thought of but is very important when trying to keep good teachers in the profession.  There are many things that can affect the way a teacher feels about his/her job.  These can range from money to support from the community to interaction with the students.  There are many factors that can cause a teacher to decide to stay or leave the profession.  Many studies have shown that a well-trained teacher makes the biggest difference in the students’ lives (Sun, 1995). In order to keep good teachers in the profession many ideas must be looked at and considered. 

Teachers are very important in the lives of our children and having the best teachers in the school systems is ideal.  A teacher who has a strong, positive morale while teaching will give their classroom their all, and are more likely to run a successful classroom than a teacher with a low morale.  One researcher states that teacher morale “can have a positive effect on pupil attitudes and learning. Raising teacher morale level is not only making teaching more pleasant for teachers, but also learning more pleasant for the students. This creates an environment that is more conducive to learning" (Miller, 1981).  Keeping a low turnover rate in schools is important and can be done by considering several things when working with teachers. 

Leavers and Stayers

One very important idea to study is teacher retention and why teachers are staying or leaving the profession.  Studies show that most teachers who leave the profession have less than ten years of experience in the field (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  Other studies have shown that twenty five to fifty percent of new teachers quit during their first three years of teaching, and that ten percent resign in their first year of teaching (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  One common mistake that can be made, though, is when people interchange the words movers and leavers.  Movers refer to teachers who move from one school to another, while leavers are those who leave the profession all together (Colgan, 2004). The leavers are the teachers in which teacher retention should focus on (Colgan, 2004).   It is very important to look at the reasons why these teachers are quitting so early in their careers. 

Pay

     One reason that teachers may leave the profession is because of pay.  Many people respect teachers but have certain stereotypes about the profession (Egger, 2004).  Some will say that the job is easy or they will complain that teachers get out everyday at 3:00 p.m.  These stereotypes are ridiculous and wrong, but these ideas do contribute to the reason teachers may be so underpaid (Egger, 2004).  “The latest statistics put the average teacher’s salary at about $46.000; some teachers earn a little more, some a little less” (Egger, 2004).  When comparing this with other professions, like an elevator repair man who earns about $8,000 more each year, this seems underpaid (Egger, 2004).  One study does show that new teachers found the salary the only external factor to stay in the profession (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  This also had to deal with security; many of these teachers felt their job security was important and kept them in the field (Inman and Marlow, 2004). 

     As stated in “Reading, Writing, and Landscaping,” an article written by Dave Egger in 2004 “the first step to creating an education system full of the best teachers we can find is to pay them in line with their importance to their communities.  We pay orthodontists an average of $350,000, and no one would say their impact on the lives of kids is greater than a teacher’s” (Egger, 2004).  Many teachers have to have one or two more jobs in addition to their teaching (Egger, 2004).  This makes it very difficult for a teacher to make enough money and support a family if needed.  Because of this many teachers are leaving the professional for more financially supportive jobs (Egger, 2004).  But pay increases may not be enough to keep teachers in the profession (Viadero, 2002).  It is still hard to find teachers to teach in low performing schools that may have a higher rate of poor students (Viadero, 2002). 

Support

 

     Another major contribution to teacher retention and morale is support.  This means support from administration, colleagues, and the community (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).   One study shows that forty percent of teachers leaving the field say that there was inadequate support from administration (Ingersoll, 2004).  One important aspect to this involves school leadership roles (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  Many of these roles should be shared so that all teachers have a chance to be influential to the school environment (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  Teachers who get a chance to have such roles tend to increase their commitment to the school or district and feel there is more job satisfaction (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  When administration is open to hear the voices of their teachers, these teachers feel that they can make a difference in the school and are not just bystanders who have to follow rules (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  Listening to the teachers is very important.  A principal who is willing to encourage teachers to take roles in the school is helping them to feel that they are important (Colgan, 2004).  Administration should be supportive of teachers and their new ideas.  Structured meeting and development ideas may help to keep the teachers up to date and will give them a chance to share their ideas with others (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  Support meetings can also help the teachers meet one another and find colleagues that can help them through certain stages of their careers (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  This can be very helpful and important for new teachers (Woods and Weasmer, 2000). 

     A teacher may rely on other teachers for many ideas and help with their classroom, but this is not the only way that teachers need one another (Lumsden, 1998).  Since teachers are in the classroom with their students most of the day, they only deal with children (Lumsden, 1998).  Having fellow teachers, adults, to talk to at times can really help raise a teacher’s morale (Lumsden 1998).  These teachers will enjoy sharing their stories and successes with other teachers who can relate to what they are doing (Lumsden, 1998).  

     Mentoring programs can also help new teachers in a school system (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  Many new teachers may want support from their colleagues but are too scared or shy to ask for it (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  Also many long term teachers are trying to manage their job and a family as well and are not always willing to jump in and help someone.  With a structured mentoring program many new teachers will be able to get the help they need to work in the new school system (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  They may also help them feel as though they fit in better with the other teachers and are more open to ask questions or give advice (Woods and Weasmer, 2000).  Mentoring is also very important for teachers who are being placed in random classrooms and must teach unfamiliar subjects (Principals, 2002).  When there is a shortage of teachers, administration may just place some other teacher in a classroom to fill in.  A mentor for this teacher is very important because they can help them teach the subject effectively (Principals, 2002).  New teachers are the most likely to be placed with these jobs of unfamiliarity and this causes many of them to leave the profession (Principals, 2002). 

     Community support is also very important when dealing with teacher morale (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  One way to make sure this happens is to provide several activities for the parents and community to get involved in with the schools.  Parents can be asked to help in the classroom or on field trips (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  If the community is involved in the schools, they will be able to better understand what goes on (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  This will help them to be more supportive of the teachers and how they work and teach (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  The community’s support can really help a teacher feel more welcome at a school and it can also help a teacher in many other ways (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  One way that the community can help is to provide assistance in field trips.  If a business is willing to let the class come in for a tour at minimum cost, this can help a teacher tremendously (Inman and Marlow, 2004).  Also community members who will come into the classroom to volunteer help can decrease stress on a teacher.  There are many things community members can do to show their support for teachers (Inman and Marlow, 2004). 

Workload

Another concept that affects teacher morale is the amount of work they have (Norton, 1999).  Many new teachers are given the heaviest load or may be assigned to the least attractive school or classroom (Norton, 1999).  This does not always give teachers the chance to do their best work and show their strengths.  Many researchers feel that overloading the work can make for a low morale in many teachers (Briggs, 1992).  New teachers can feel overwhelmed and may feel like they are not appreciated enough for all the work they have to do (Denning, 2002).  Reducing the workload for new teachers can reduce their stress and can also give them more time to learn new things and ideas (Denning, 2002). 

     There are several things that contribute to a teacher’s workload (Rowden, 2000).  Lesson plans can be very time consuming and must be written up before teaching everyday (Rowden, 2000).  Some schools may even have their teachers get together once a week or so, giving them a chance to work on lesson plans together (Rowden, 2000).  Another time consuming activity is assessment of students.  Not only do teachers have to fill out report cards and do standardized testing, they also have to do daily assessments (Rowden, 2000).  Keeping track of the students and their work and improvements is very important and time consuming (Rowden, 2000).  Budget cuts in many schools have also caused teachers added work (Rowden, 2000).  These teachers may have to fill-in for other classes or pick up more students or subjects to compensate for the teachers that were let go because of the budget cuts (Rowden, 2000).  All of these things together add to a very high and stressful workload for teachers (Rowden, 2000). 

Time

     Another problem that teachers may have causing them to leave the profession is time use (Inman and Marlow, 2000).  In some schools teachers are being forced to schedule such things as bathroom breaks or lunch breaks.  They also have to sign in and out and have minimal access to the school building when students are not there (Inman and Marlow, 2000).  Teachers may also have to use time to have playground duty, lunchroom duty, hall duty, or bus duty (Inman and Marlow, 2000).  This can use up much of the teachers time and may cause them to become frustrated because they cannot get all their work done (Inman and Marlow, 2000). 

Student behaviors

     A survey taken in 1999 showed that forty percent of teachers felt that student behaviors and attitudes attributed towards low teacher morale (Pisciotta, 2001).  Teachers have added stress when their students are disruptive in the classroom (Borg and Riding, 1991; Boyle, Borg, Falzon, and Baglioni, 1995; Byrne, 1994).  These classrooms may only consist of one or two disruptive students but this can still be very stressful.  When the teacher has to deal with these trouble students and try to keep them on task without affecting the rest of the class’s time, they may get burnout quickly (Feitler and Tokar, 1982).  Teachers have said that there are many things that contribute to their stress from student attitudes.  Some of these are: unsatisfactory work and achievement, not listening to or following the rules, continual absenteeism, disrespect towards teachers and other students, lack of attention, and discipline problems (Friedman, 1995) 

     Many teachers surveyed have stated that administration problems help to contribute to student discipline issues (Pisciotta, 2001).  Teachers said that administration did not stick to their rules about discipline and would not follow through the way that they should (Pisciotta, 2001).  The teachers said that they did not feel that their administration took discipline seriously and that no real consequences are set up for the students (Pisciotta, 2001).  Many teachers felt that their school had high achievement levels but not discipline levels (Pisciotta, 2001).  Teachers feel stressed when they are the only ones administering the discipline.  They have problems trying to manage their classrooms and so in return may become burnout causing many of them to leave the profession (Pisciotta, 2001). 

Standardized testing   

     Standardized testing can also affect a teacher’s morale (Gilman, 2003).  Many teachers feel a lot of pressure when giving standardized tests.  Teachers found that they were blaming one another for low scores which caused problems in the schools and among colleagues (Gilman, 2003).  This could cause some teachers to decide to leave the profession or request a new placement (Gilman, 2003).  Schools put a lot of emphasis on these test scores because of the amount of emphasis the states put on them (Gilman, 2003).  School funding can be based on the test scores and because of this so can teachers’ pay.  All this emphasis can lead to a lot of pressure in a teacher and may cause them to quit (Gilman, 2003).  One way to help with this is to provide in-services for the teachers so get a chance to better understand the tests and why they are given (Gilman, 2003).  They can then also learn how to use the results when evaluating their students.  If the teachers understand why the tests are given and how to use them properly, it can help to raise their morale during these testing times (Gilman, 2003). 

Teacher Efficacy

A well-trained teacher can make a great impact on a classroom.  One way to ensure this is to have continued education for teachers (Sun, 1995).  Teachers must want to learn more and be open to others’ ideas and help while teaching.  There are many ways to make this continual learning process possible for teachers (Sun, 1995).  One way would be to have workshops or offer college courses to help these teachers (Sun, 1995).  Teacher morale may rise if a teacher feels like they are constantly improving and making a better classroom (Sun, 1995). 

     Teacher efficacy is also an important concept in schools (Sun, 1995).  Many things can affect a teacher’s efficacy.  Some of these factors are the years of teaching, the grade they are teaching, and the location of the school (Sun, 1995).  Teacher’s sex, school size, and classroom size are usually not factors that contribute to efficacy (Sun, 1995).  Training for new teachers may be a way to enhance the teacher’s efficacy.  Another way to enhance efficacy is to encourage the teachers to be involved in school decisions (Sun, 1995).  

Class size

     One major factor that affects schools and their teacher morale is class size (Barker, 1986).  The size of the class can contribute to the personal aspect of the schools (Barker, 1986).  When in a smaller school, teachers and administrators are usually closer and work together more (Barker, 1986).  Parents also seem to get more involved and work more with the school staff (Barker, 1986).  Student morale may also be higher in smaller schools because the students get a chance to be more involved in extracurricular activities like sports and student council.  This student morale can help to bring the students and teachers closer together and help in lowering discipline problems (Barker, 1986).  In these smaller schools the students become the center of the school and more individual instruction is provided (Barker, 1986). 

     Teachers may get the chance to know their students better in small classes versus large classes (Barker, 1986).  They can get to know each child in and out of the classroom.  Smaller classrooms can also give teachers a better chance to work with the individual needs of their students (Barker, 1986).  Teachers may also become closer to the administration which can help them feel more accepted at the schools and more willing to work with one another (Barker, 1986).  Many smaller schools and communities may also show more respect for their teachers making the teachers more satisfied with their jobs (Barker, 1986).

     Smaller schools tend to have less disruptions and noise making it easier for students to concentrate on their work (Burnett, 1995).  Studies have shown that larger schools tend to have lower test scores in math and reading (Burnett, 1995).  This can be because it is more difficult to concentrate when the classrooms are overcrowded (Burnett, 1995).  Also the smaller schools may have more materials per classroom which means that the students have more access to the materials (Burnett, 1995).  Many large schools have to try to bounce materials from one room to the next so all students do not always have access to what they need (Burnett, 1995).  Larger schools also have more changes in the schedules and more disruptions in their daily operations (Burnett, 1995).  This can cause teachers to have much frustration and dissatisfaction in their jobs (Burnett, 1995).  Certain periods may be cut short and activities may have to be left out because there is not enough time for all students to be involved (Burnett, 1995).  Smaller classes also have more time per subject and more time for one-on-one interaction (Schwartz, 2003).  This can affect the teacher morale because they may feel like they have a better chance to teach the students and have a bigger impact on their lives (Schwartz, 2003).  Students may also be able to get more involved in the subjects and learn more in depth information in smaller classrooms (Schwartz, 2003).  Teachers with smaller classes feel that they have more time to work with the individual students and do not feel so overwhelmed and this raises their morale (Schwartz, 2003). 

Ways to raise the morale

     There are several ways that teachers can raise their morale and stay calm in their classrooms.  One is to take charge of your attitude (White, 2000).  This means that you control how you feel and do not let others take over your classroom.  Teachers should be willing to be flexible and work with others and their ideas but make sure they are comfortable as well (White, 2000).  Teachers should also “develop a plan of action” (White, 2000).  This means that you can take time to decide what and how you want to deal with a situation (White, 2000).  Make sure that teachers always take care of themselves as well.  Teaching a class can take a lot of energy and stamina so make sure you are healthy and looking after yourself (White, 2000).  Teachers must also review and keep their personal and professional missions (White, 2000).  Make sure you believe in your mission and it is up to date and then follow it and make sure you remember your goals (White, 2000). 

     Mentors and collaboration with teachers is also a way to strengthen morale (Principal, 2002).  Making sure that new teachers have strong mentors can make the job more satisfactory.  Schools can train their mentors so that these teachers know what they can do to help the new teachers (Principal, 2002).  Making a criterion for the mentors to meet and follow can help to ensure effective mentoring programs (Principal, 2002).  Another way that teachers can learn from others is to get the opportunity to view and analyze good teachers (Principal, 2002).  New teachers may feel more comfortable when teaching if they have had the opportunity to see how other teachers are teaching (Principal, 2002). 

Conclusion

     Teacher morale is something that is not always the main focus of schools but should be important to all schools.  In order for students to get the best education possible, they need good teachers.  Making sure that teachers are happy with their job ensures that they will do their best work and devote plenty of time to their students.  Schools should be willing to help teachers in any way possible and to help them feel comfortable and accepted.  A good school needs good teachers and good teachers need good morale about where they are working. 

     After reading all my research on teacher morale, I realized how important it is to meet certain needs of teachers.  If teachers are not happy with their jobs or schools, they will leave for better paying professions.  I found that even though teachers are not paid high, they will stay with the profession if they are happy.  There are many things that I will look for in schools that I want to work for.  Some of these are good mentoring programs and good support from administration.  Being a teacher can be a very stressful job, and if teachers are willing to work together and strive for a great school and classroom, it can also be a very enjoyable and rewarding job. 

References

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