FACULTY WORK-LIFE RESOURCES PROJECTCAREER END

Candice Kilbride & Joan Valentin

THE RESEARCHFROM OUR CLASS READINGS: Steffy & Wolfe (2001)The critical factor that allows educators to

proceed through the career life cycle is the reflection-renewal-growth cycle.

At this stage, educators should be on study teams, should participate in peer coaching, and should attend professional development seminars in order to continuously examine their teaching assumptions and classroom practices.

Serving as a coach or mentor is another way to reflect.

THE RESEARCH FROM OUR CLASS READINGS Fessler (1995)The Teacher Career Cycle Model contains 8

stages.We do not proceed through the stages linearly.

It is an ebb and flow influenced by environmental, personal, and organizational factors.

This could be a pleasant time or a bitter one.Schools need to explore the link between a

teacher’s career stage and professional development.

THE RESEARCHFROM OUR CLASS READINGS Sandberg (2001)It is critical that senior scholars feel needed

and rewarded. They need to remain involved in teaching, research, and service. Unfortunately, institutions do not always recognize their unique needs.

So, seniors, here are a few suggestions of what YOU can do for yourself:

• Don’t isolate yourself. Be honest about your needs.

• Switch your workload. Teach something you have not taught before.

SANDBERG CONTINUED• Attend a different professional conference for

you.• Start a research project.• Incorporate the community into your courses.• Do something different in the summer.• Do something outside of your field.• Work with close colleagues.• Redecorate your office.• Be a mentor or friend to other senior

colleagues.• Catch yourself before you criticize.

SANDBERG CONTINUED What those who are not there yet can do to

help those more senior members:• Realize that the senior’s concerns and

perspective have shifted.• Realize that the senior may not have it

together all the time.• Ask them for advice or praise their

accomplishments.

THE RESEARCHFROM OUR CLASS READINGS Seldin (2006)These career end folks may feel their influence

has diminished.They may feel awkward about the age gap

between themselves and their colleagues.They feel they need to leave behind a

meaningful and lasting legacy.They are preparing for retirement. This is

uncharted territory for them.

SELDIN CONTINUED What we can offer as professional

developers:• Have them mentor young colleagues.• Ask them to volunteer time on a fundraising

committee, task force, or new faculty orientation.

• Provide opportunities for these senior faculty to meet to discuss financial aspects of retirement.

• Provide psychological support for them so retirement does not find them bored.

• Partner them with those who have already retired.

THE RESEARCHADDITIONAL ARTICLES Compton (2010)Those at career end have an interest in:• Having assistance in locating and selecting

materials.• Influencing school or district policy.• Leadership. They would like to deliver formal

and informal training sessions for colleagues.• Writing for publications and presentations.• Learning about current research and best

practices.

COMPTON CONTINUED If professional development would have to be

one size fits all, there are a few common interests between the career stages:

• Having opportunities to connect with other teachers.

• Crafting new methods of instruction.• Receiving support for reflection about the

results of the work they do in their classroom.

THE RESEARCHADDITIONAL ARTICLES Burden (1982)• These teachers continually try additional

techniques to increase their competencies, to passively accept change, and to keep teaching interestingly. They may need to switch grades, schools, or classrooms to prevent boredom.

• They are concerned about the tension resulting from teaching. They try to separate their work and personal life. They may need to find ways in their personal life to release the tension in their teaching life.

• They could become involved in more out of classroom activities in their school.

BURDEN CONTINUED• A non-directive supervisory approach is

appropriate for these professionals. • They need someone who will encourage

them, clarify, present, and help problem solve.

THE RESEARCHADDITIONAL ARTICLES Bland & Bergquist (1997)On average, research productivity drops with

age. However, what is produced is comparable to that of younger colleagues. This may be caused by increased responsibilities or a shift in focus on high quality rather than quantity.

Some of these faculty members may feel stuck, but the majority do not.

BLAND & BERGQUIST CONTINUED These senior members:• Are confident in their teaching and research.• Have a deep sense of commitment to the

institution.• Have a network of professional colleagues.• Can manage multiple, simultaneous projects.• Value alternative viewpoints and

collaboration• Wish to teach and support the next

generation.• Desire expanded and diversified roles in their

institutions.

BLAND & BERGQUIST CONTINUED What these senior members want from us:• Opportunities to grow.• To be appreciated by the institution’s leaders.• Collegiality• A commitment on the part of the school’s

leaders to academic values and the mission of the school.

INTERVIEWS:BACKGROUND Ten secondary teachers One secretary One librarian Ten or less years away from retirement Nine women and three men

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? “The skills or knowledge that you attain for

both personal development and career advancement.”

“PD should provide the classroom teacher with training and/or instruction in current educational theory and program development. The teacher should be able to apply learning and have an opportunity to exchange ideas.”

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? “Pursuing activities to learn about your

curriculum, teaching strategies, students, or technology that improves that classroom experience and student achievement.”

PD should allow you to build capacity that you would use in your regular instruction and give you time to build skills that you normally don’t have time to build.”

OVER YOUR CAREER, WHAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? “There is a lot more technology training.”

“Now, it is required.” (Two Interviewees)

“PD seems geared to technology. They train us and then change the system the next year. There is never enough time to follow through.”

OVER YOUR CAREER, WHAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? “It has moved from one presenter for all to

more choices with smaller groups.”

“PD has become more focused on doing, brainstorming, participating, and interacting.”

“I have more freedom of choices, and PD has become more collegial.”

OVER YOUR CAREER, WHAT HAS STAYED THE SAME ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? “Attendance is taken, and it is frequently a day for

people to call in sick or to use a personal day.”

“It is still a change for improvement. I still feel that what I could do is better than what I am currently doing.”

“Some of it is excellent, and some of it is very very bad.”

“Despite improvements, I still often feel that it is something imposed on teachers by those who are out of touch with classroom realities.”

IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN YOUR DISTRICT, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT ORGANIZED OR OFFERED? “ I would like some of the larger topics to be

presented over two or three consecutive days because we need continuity to sustains enthusiasm and planning.”

“There needs to be more time for collaboration.”

“There should be more specific job related categories such as relationships at work, technology awareness, and time management.”

IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN YOUR DISTRICT, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT ORGANIZED OR OFFERED? “It should be more about learning

experiences not just topics related to our discipline.”

“ I would make sure that there is more time for reflection, follow through, and evaluation.”

“There should be a cohort model where people with similar interests can meet and share ideas.”

THEMES Non-linear Overlap with other career stages New teaching methods Technology training Collaboration Reflection Continuity Freedom of choice Feedback Recognition

WEBSITES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPERo ASCD has numerous information about many topics

from which to pull for the individual or district.http://ascd.org/.

o The Annenberg Learner has programs to offer for the individual or district.

http://www.learner.org.o The U.S. Department of Education has programs for

the individual or district.http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/dev/.

o The Library of Congress offers programs for individuals and districts.

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/

WEBSITES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPERS TO OFFER TO THEIR TEACHERSo The PBS Teacher Line

http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/

o 360 Education Solutionshttp://www.360-edu.com professional_development.php

o Appelbaum Trainingwww.atiseminar.org/staffdevelopmenttopics

o Staff Development for Educatorshttp://www.sde.com/

CAREER END WIKISPACE http://careerendresources.wikispaces.com/

REFERENCESBland, C.J. & Bergquist, W.H. (1997). The vitality of senior

faculty members. Snow on the roof – Fire in the furnace. Eric Digests. ED415733.

Burden, P.R. (1982, February). Developmental supervision: Reducing teacher stress at different career stages. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Associates of Teacher Educators, Phoenix, AZ.

Compton, C.M. (2010). What teachers want. Journal of Staff Development, 31(4), 52 – 55.

Fessler, R. (1995). Dynamics of teacher career stages. In T.R. Guskey & M. Huberman (Eds.). Professional development in education: New paradigms and practices. (pp. 171 – 192). New York: Teachers College Press.

REFERENCES CONTINUEDSandberg, K. (March 16, 2001). Senior

professors, too, sometimes need a helping hand. Chronicle of Higher Education,47(27). Retrieved from: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i27/27b01401.htm

Seldin, P. (2006). Tailoring faculty development programs to faculty career stages. In S. Chadwick Blossey & D. R. Robertson (Eds.). To Improve the Academy, 24,pp. 137 – 146, Bolton, MA: Ander Publishing.

Steffy, B.E. & Wolfe, M.P. (2001). A life-cycle model for career teachers. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 38(1), 16 – 19).