A Team with a Sense of Belonging
By Sue Belcher
I get the opportunity to connect with other heads of school regularly through groups on a regional (NWAIS), national (NAIS), and global (GOA) level. One thing that I hear again and again is that teacher turnover is at an all-time high. At a time when so many people are grappling with the role of work in society and their lives, this is reasonable. One important part of my role is building and nurturing a faculty that feels respected, valued, and appreciated. This looks different for each faculty member, but here are some common practices that I’ve learned to help honor the contributions of our faculty.
Relationships are at the core of our institution. These are both within the faculty and staff and with the students. These relationships help foster a sense of belonging.
The team is committed to learning and growing together. We’ve cultivated the conditions for innovation to thrive. Specifically, the perpetual beta mantra has created a sense of safety around risk and failure.
Faculty and staff feel heard and respected. As administrators, they are helping to make decisions about the direction of the school.
Teachers are entrusted with curriculum development and lesson planning. At The Downtown School, there is an assumption and expectation of high competence, not incompetence.
Everyone is encouraged to be their full selves. This includes teachers, not just students.
Faculty and staff are compensated well. They are recognized financially for being both teachers and administrators.
Parents, guardians and teachers have a shared goal of growing adults with a sense of purpose who can navigate their future with confidence.
When issues arise, we address them directly. The Downtown School has a feedback-oriented culture, and we don’t avoid difficult conversations. We can disagree without it being personal. In fact, these disagreements often help us solidify our values.
We value diversity of ideas and experience. The people on our team have a wide range of work and life experiences. There is at least a 30-year age range between youngest and oldest faculty and staff. We have gender and sexuality diversity, racial and cultural diversity, and thought diversity. What this means is that everyone sees the school through a slightly different lens. It helps us to engage in creative friction to hone ideas in pursuit of continuous improvement.
Teachers understand institutional complexity. By having a hand in the design and management of the school, teachers are keenly aware of making a school work and thrive from every angle.