Full Description
Why do some schools have high levels of teacher turnover, but others don't? This powerful book explores the question of what makes a resilient teaching community in which teachers want to stay and thrive. Author Michelle Hughes embarks on a journey, including school visits and conversations with teachers and school leaders, to uncover the cohesiveness, continuity, community, and deep sense of belonging for adults and kids that occurs in some schools.
In Part 1, Hughes describes the conditions that foster such a community, including trust, belonging, collaboration, and a culture of ongoing growth and shared decision-making. Part 2 explores the essential role leaders play in providing those conditions. In Part 3, you'll learn the roles teachers play in building collaboration, autonomy and community, conflict, and shared mission or vision. Part 4 focuses on the impacts of resilient teaching communities on the child's educational journey from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. It also explores the obstacles faced by the leaders and teachers who are invested in cultivating their own resilient teaching community. And finally, at the end of each chapter, you'll have opportunities for reflection and action so you can bring the ideas back to your own school.
From rural Indiana to New York City, teachers have shared the same conditions that matter most to their feeling of community and longevity in their roles. Find out how your school can be a powerful place of belonging too.
Contents
Part 1: What Is a Resilient Teaching Community? 1. The Story of When Teachers Stay 2. Defining a Resilient Teaching Community Part 2: The Visible and Supportive Leader: Actively Cultivating Resilient Teaching Communities 3. Visible Leaders Growing and Sustaining Resilient Teaching Communities 4. Build Trust 5. Forge a Community of Belonging 6. Provide Opportunities for Ongoing Professional Growth 7. Engage in Shared Decision-Making Part 3: The Working Community 8. Foster a Collaborative Environment 9. Focus on Mission and Vision Part 4: Obstacles, Impacts, and Reflections 10. Obstacles to Resilient Teaching Communities 11. Impacts of Resilient Teaching Communities Final Thoughts
