Why Do Teachers Leave Schools
WHY DO TEACHERS LEAVE?
Just as we all know that human needs are insatiable, likewise teachers needs and wants are ni exceptions as no single individual can effectively solve human needs, problems or wants.
But there can be provisions to motivate and encourage teachers to put in their best by putting some of these measures in place.
1. Poor communication skills
Communication is the process of sending information, ideas, thoughts and instructions to people through the available media with the hope of getting a desire feedback.
You need to be very careful with words
Once you say it out, it will be difficult to withdraw your statement.
Some people live with words spoken to them for the rest of their lives and they don’t forgive even though they had actually forgiven.
Some people will even forgive, but, won’t forget.
Some school owners talk to teachers like slaves.
Some school administrators rebuke teachers, curse teachers by mixing words together with Indirect curse that is rendered as prayers
They use vulgar language as if they are wayward, indiscipline or from the gutter. They have forgotten that they are within a school environment
You don’t treat a teacher like an animal and expect him or her to stay.
People leave their jobs because of insults.
You see, when people tolerate insults for long, they will one day leave.
Some school owners speak to their teachers as if they were useless without values. Some school owners make their teachers weep by speaking or saying unprintable words to them.
If you have teachers who tolerate insults, they are just there to collect salary
Let me burst your bubbles, they are looking for a better offer, once they get it, they will move without saying goodbye.
2. Delay in payment of salary.
The economic situation of the country is so harsh that if you have a regular salary paying job nowadays is a blessing in respective of the amount and the school owners know this.
This make some school owners to start misbehaving and seeing themselves as small demi gods. Some even expect thier teachers to be on thier knees when speaking to them because they are the source of your livelihood by creating jobs for your survival.
Someone school owners pay regularly while some of them intentionally owe and delayed your salary
If you teachers’ salaries are delayed , they will leave.
You don’t owe teachers and expect growth!
You don’t owe teachers expect them to recommend your school.
It has rendered many schools, schools of yesterday
You are owing teachers yet you are buying granite for building and you expect them to stay.
It is not possible.
A hungry man is an angry man.
You don’t beat a child and say he shouldn’t cry.
Lack of salary increase another thing.
You can’t be growing as a school and allow your teachers to be stagnant
You have to make them grow with you.
3. Micromanaging and Multi tasking Teachers
Some school owners allow teachers to be the gateman, bursar, admin and special advisers.
They burden teachers with unnecessary tasks making teachers to leave their primary duties which is teaching and yet these school owners will complain at the end of the term that pupils academic performance had declined.
Why will teachers be made to stay at the school gate till 9:00 am sending debtors back home when there is a school bursar or accountant that has been employed specifically for that same job.
It is a waste of pupils precious time by making teachers to stay at the gate, sending debtors back home when the precious time of those that have paid are been wasted.
Teachers won’t stay long in that school.
Some schools allow teachers to take two classes together
Teachers won’t stay long in such a school.
Remember, bad news spread faster than good news
Teachers network together
They tell themselves about their former schools
What do you think they will say or are saying about your school?
The comments of your former or present teachers have a lot to do with your school’s marketing strategy.
If your school is known for giving teachers troubles getting teachers will be difficult
I know a school owner who is always in need of a teacher every term.
If you ask me, it is bad for business.
What strategies can you use to reduce staff migration?
4. Not being part decision-making team by setting up a committee
Some school owners set up kangaroo committee without actually giving the members of the committee to operate freely. Things that are discussed are not done and things that are done are not discussed. Most of the time, your get information from parents whereas the information suppose to start from their school to parents but in some schools, the opposite is the case. You cannot take initiative or meaning decision until your superior or oga or admin or school owner comes. This is very bad.
5. Zero roles and responsibilities
Roles are hardly delegated because most school owners or admin are less interested in raising someone that will step into their schools. They are nobody mentors or role models.
They aren’t mentoring anybody less you know too much or you snatch the school from them or you will now set up your own and become a major competitor or treat to their own school or business
STRATEGIES FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTION AND PROGRESS
1. Payment of salary on time and regular.
Pay your teachers what they deserve.
Don’t judge your staff based on his or her last salary from the previous school he’s worked at before joining your team.
Don’t wait until the month ends before you do the needful.
Do not keep your teachers in suspense because you want to pay.
Make sure you pay on time.
If possible, the 26th of every month.
Every teacher expects school owners to pay as at when due.
Owing teachers for a month or two will not motivate them.
You don’t expect an angry teacher to deliver beyond your expectation.
Pay as at when due and see how happy your staff will be.
2. Don’t multi task your teachers unnecessary. Let there be floating teachers that can manage a teacher if a teacher is absent from school. It is better that you have a wealthy work force that is happy than a very wound out, grumbling, sick, tired members of staff
3. Little things count. Appreciate the old productive outstanding members of staff as this will create healthy competition and encourages the new, agile, new members of staff to work smarter and better.
Don’t wait until you hear that a teacher wants to leave your school before you increase his or her salary
4. Increase the salary of a teacher who is doing the job well.
Every teacher you see is expecting an increase whether you wish to or not.
A lot of schools have lost good teachers due ta a lack of increase.
A teacher once told me he bade the teaching profession goodbye because the boss had never increased his salary before..
Now, that things are expensive, don’t you think teachers deserve an increase?
As school owners, we must be willing to do what is right to keep the good teachers who are in our schools to support our vision.
Don’t wait, increase the salary of a teacher who truly deserves it.
5. Don’t micromanage teachers.
I know a school owner who uses teachers like railway workers.
He doesn’t like to employ instead he improvises
Today, the school is struggling for survival
If you overstress your teachers, they will be forced to leave the job.
Too much workload will make a teacher leave.
To keep teachers you must design a perfect job description for the position they occupy
A lot of primary schools that aren’t ripe for secondary schools are giving teachers a lot of workloads yet expecting results.
You must see these teachers as your vision supporter.
If you overuse them, by the time they get a better offer, they will leave.
Don’t micromanage or overuse them if you want them to stay with you to build your school.
6. Lesson notes.
I have made my findings and still finding
I have asked teachers questions and they are complaining about the lesson notes.
Most schools just want to see the lesson plan ready without marking
Do you know that most of these teachers just copy and paste these lesson notes without any idea of theirs?
They just want to please the management.
We should allow creative ideas of lesson note writing.
It shouldn’t be business as usual.
Pupils don’t need to do eight subjects in a day
Have a standard timetable.
If five subjects are what they can do allow your teachers too.
The most important thing is the discharge of effective duties.
7. On the job training
Do not stop training teachers.
And if you want to train them, don’t ask them to pay for training
Remember your teachers are your foot soldiers
It is what you give them that they will give you.
Things are changing in the education section
Train them to know what is trending
Everything about teaching in your school shouldn’t be about the classroom alone.
There is a need to take a break from the norms.
8. Midterm bonus.
A little thing makes teachers happy
A little gift will go a long way in showing them how much you care.
Every midterm, buy your staff detergent, tablet soap and tissue paper.
Package it in fancy nylon and give it to them each.
They will be happy
Teachers want to see a school owner that cares
If you care about them, they will care for your school and remain in your school.
9 .Teachers protection against assault.
Protect your teachers
Dont let parents disrespect your teachers
You must protect them then come back to discipline them if they are found wanting
Your teachers are your school’s ambassadors.
Don’t let parents disrespect them for no reason
If you do, they will go in their numbers
Make them see that you care about them.
They will be willing to stay with you because they know you care
10 . Real estate
Purchase a landed property for a teacher.
Have a document for it.
Keep the document
Deducut it from the teacher’s salary for some years
As soon as the years complete handover the document
Teachers will stay and be willing to put in their best.
You can buy the land in developing areas like Atan or ikorodu.
Just as the way you as a school owner want to secure your future teachers too wants to secure theirs.
Everyone wants to protect their future and have something to fall back on.
What plan do you have for your teachers?
Think about this.
