Monday:
As is the case with any employer who must recruit and retain great talent, we have to think about what millennials want in the workplace. Ryan's comments about life/work balance (not work/life balance) and creativity jumped off the page for me. Would the people who work in school districts say this is obvious in their workplaces? Is this more complicated in schools due to external regulations?
I'm not sure that a true life/work balance is obvious in school districts. I think many want it to be, but for most it is just not the reality. I think external regulations play a major role in this situation coupled with the current economic crisis. School district calendars help to some degree with built in time to live, but the current economic crisis has many using these breaks to go back to school or to take extra jobs. I don't mean to sound overly negative, but until we learn to adjust to recession reality we will not be able to fully embrace the positive impacts of live first/work second. Creativity, on the other hand, is alive and well in many school districts and this may have received a boost from external regulations. Teachers know what works with and for students and many are flexing their creative muscles to balance the regulations with what is best for kids.
ReplyDeleteExternal regulations definitely restrict life/work balances in schools. While Dalton High has managed to provide some flexibility in schedules for teachers, this is more difficult to do at the elementary level. I think a more flexible work schedule would be very beneficial for teachers, but I am not sure how it could be achieved given our current schedules and parameters.
ReplyDeleteI know that some districts are eliminating the part time teacher positions or the job sharing. I am thankful that DPS is not. Our principal, at the beginning of budget discussions, asked if anyone would be willing to job share. The last 5 years, I taught part time. Yes, I was only paid half salary, but it allowed me to be with my kids in the morning before school and to be home with them after school. I think the system gets a deal with this arrangement. My hours at school were shorter than the full time teacher, but I spent much time in the evenings planning and grading papers since I didn't have that time at school. I think the system got more "bang for their buck", so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI agree with lbhackney that teachers do have the built in time to be with family and that certainly helps. I have many friends in other professions that say that they wish they had gone into education so they could spend more time with their kids.
On a side note, it was nice to read the supplement in the Daily Citizen today called "The Positive Side".
I agree with lbhackney's sentiment that life/work balance is being redirected as the economic reality is affecting many who are looking for work in order to have a life!
ReplyDeleteOn page 15 of Live First, Work Second, I discuss Maslow's hierarchy, and how every generation comes into their formative working years at some level on the hierarchy, e.g. Silents/Traditionalists at the Basic Needs level, Boomers at the Belonging Needs, etc. My observation is that the current "Great Recession" is causing everyone to downshift at least one level. Boomers, for example, are becoming concerned with their ability to retire, and Xers (who are free agent-minded) are willing to join teams and taskforces to help solve problems.
Thanks, Jim, for hosting this online forum. I look forward to stopping back in.
Rebecca Ryan
Author, Live First, Work Second