It’s no shock to read that teachers have a lot to juggle in the classroom. From learning to safety and everything in between, there can be more to do in a day than there is time to do it. With more than four out of every 10 teachers reporting they feel burned out “always” or “very often” at work in a 2022 Gallup poll, now is the right time to ask yourself, “How can I help?”
What Kind of Support Do Chicago School Teachers and Therapists Need?
If you want to ensure your teachers stay engaged and make the biggest impact on their students’ learning, use the following tips to keep them supported and successful.
Make Sure You Are Available to Your Teachers
You are busy, and you have no shortage of tasks to accomplish during (and often well after) the school day. But make sure you have set aside ample time for teachers and therapists to be able to access you. Whether they have questions, need support, or simply need someone to vent to, having set aside hours for your teachers and therapists to contact you for support can help them feel valued and heard.
Be Willing to Accept Feedback
Receiving feedback from teachers and therapists can sometimes be difficult, because it can feel like a critique on the hard work you are doing. But being willing to listen to them with an open ear and accept their concerns or even their critiques and respond graciously, even if you cannot help them solve their problem immediately, will build a stronger bond of trust and support between therapists, teachers and administration.
Provide Meaningful Evaluations
Teacher evaluations can sometimes cause stress or tension in the relationship between administration and their staff. In order for evaluations to help teachers maximize their skills and effectiveness, you should always strive to provide specific, constructive criticism that can guide teachers toward better results. It is helpful to open your discussion up for their questions and be willing to provide concrete suggestions for improvement instead of general criticism.
Make Sure Your School Is Fully Staffed at All Times
If you have a teacher, therapist, or social worker who will be leaving (even if only briefly for maternity leave or medical leave) make sure to have someone lined up to fill in well in advance. When hiring gets put off to the last minute, it can seem like an impossible task to find the perfect fit. That’s why partnering with an experienced recruitment agency like Spotter Staffing to fill those roles quickly and smoothly is always a better option than trying to find new school staff alone.
Are You Looking to Hire for Your School?
Spotter Staffing has a local talent pool full of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Social Workers, and Special Education Teachers who are ready to get to work for you. Click here to contact our team of recruitment experts and see how we can help your school.