How To Get the Most From a Multi-generational Faculty
The new book by Chris Hitch and Dave Coley, Executive Skills for Busy School Leaders, functions as a best practices handbook to help you fulfill all of your leadership responsibilities. Read below for the authors' suggestions on working well with a multi-generational faculty.
How To Get the Most From a Multi-generational Faculty
School executives will need to customize their approach to leading and motivating teachers of a multi-generational faculty. These following recommendations will help guide principals in retaining teachers and reducing the costs associated with staff turnover.
- Customize staff development. All schools plan new staff development “opportunities” each year. To create a sense of traction for change in an area of focus, the plan is usually one size fits all. It is not a bad idea to strive for alignment behind one or two goals, but rarely does the process for improvement apply equally and in the same manner for all teachers.
Principals will need to customize the process by gaining input from staff members. Our experience reflects increased buy-in and motivation on the part of teachers at no additional costs. By soliciting ideas from those who have a vested interest in the school’s success, the principal may discover untapped expertise and willingness to lead professional development from the ranks of the staff already in the building. By customizing training, principals will maximize the in-house talent of their faculties and ensure that teachers get what they need, regardless of their age or level of experience.
- Control over schedules. Principals should also be open to customizing work schedules to address the work/life balance of teachers. As they reach retirement, many Baby Boomers would like to have an abbreviated schedule and work part-time. They may be afraid to make that request for a variety of reasons but might be delighted if you let senior members of the staff know that you are open to consideration of that arrangement. The students and staff will benefit from their years of experience and senior teachers will be more accessible to mentor younger teachers. Teachers with 30 plus years are looking forward to a change of pace, but may not be ready for complete withdrawal from the school routine and interactions with students.
Job sharing is also an attractive alternative for teachers, especially those with small children. The schedules vary, but position sharing accommodates personal needs and keeps strong teachers connected to students and the profession. Principals should also be flexible when it comes to arrival and departure times if they want to hold on to teachers struggling to maintain the work/life balance important to Generation X and Y.
- Control over assignments and location. In order to retain teachers, especially the novice and alternative route teachers, principals must become more strategic in the assignment of schedules and location of classrooms. We recommend that principals give a lot of thought and care to the teaching and room assignment for young teachers. If at all possible, give them a classroom in the building near their mentor or colleagues who will share materials and strategies and support them in the early stages of development. Otherwise, you will have to hire a replacement each year and lose valuable time with students that cannot be recovered.
- Choice of coworkers. Another way of customizing the workplace is to allow staff members some choice with whom they work and how often they meet. Some staff members enjoy collaborating on just about everything, and others prefer to work more independently. Seek input from staff members before making team or department assignments. Ask them to describe their approach to working as a member of a team, what they like to do and what they prefer not to do. Putting teachers on the right position and team will maximize their strengths and reduce the potential for friction with their coworkers.
Click here to read sample chapters of Executive Skills for Busy School Leaders by Chris Hitch and David Coley.
How To Get the Most From a Multi-generational Faculty
School executives will need to customize their approach to leading and motivating teachers of a multi-generational faculty. These following recommendations will help guide principals in retaining teachers and reducing the costs associated with staff turnover.
- Customize staff development. All schools plan new staff development “opportunities” each year. To create a sense of traction for change in an area of focus, the plan is usually one size fits all. It is not a bad idea to strive for alignment behind one or two goals, but rarely does the process for improvement apply equally and in the same manner for all teachers.
Principals will need to customize the process by gaining input from staff members. Our experience reflects increased buy-in and motivation on the part of teachers at no additional costs. By soliciting ideas from those who have a vested interest in the school’s success, the principal may discover untapped expertise and willingness to lead professional development from the ranks of the staff already in the building. By customizing training, principals will maximize the in-house talent of their faculties and ensure that teachers get what they need, regardless of their age or level of experience.
- Control over schedules. Principals should also be open to customizing work schedules to address the work/life balance of teachers. As they reach retirement, many Baby Boomers would like to have an abbreviated schedule and work part-time. They may be afraid to make that request for a variety of reasons but might be delighted if you let senior members of the staff know that you are open to consideration of that arrangement. The students and staff will benefit from their years of experience and senior teachers will be more accessible to mentor younger teachers. Teachers with 30 plus years are looking forward to a change of pace, but may not be ready for complete withdrawal from the school routine and interactions with students.
Job sharing is also an attractive alternative for teachers, especially those with small children. The schedules vary, but position sharing accommodates personal needs and keeps strong teachers connected to students and the profession. Principals should also be flexible when it comes to arrival and departure times if they want to hold on to teachers struggling to maintain the work/life balance important to Generation X and Y.
- Control over assignments and location. In order to retain teachers, especially the novice and alternative route teachers, principals must become more strategic in the assignment of schedules and location of classrooms. We recommend that principals give a lot of thought and care to the teaching and room assignment for young teachers. If at all possible, give them a classroom in the building near their mentor or colleagues who will share materials and strategies and support them in the early stages of development. Otherwise, you will have to hire a replacement each year and lose valuable time with students that cannot be recovered.
- Choice of coworkers. Another way of customizing the workplace is to allow staff members some choice with whom they work and how often they meet. Some staff members enjoy collaborating on just about everything, and others prefer to work more independently. Seek input from staff members before making team or department assignments. Ask them to describe their approach to working as a member of a team, what they like to do and what they prefer not to do. Putting teachers on the right position and team will maximize their strengths and reduce the potential for friction with their coworkers.
Click here to read sample chapters of Executive Skills for Busy School Leaders by Chris Hitch and David Coley.
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