Want to show teachers appreciation? This top school gives them more freedom

Nationally, most teachers report feeling stressed and overwhelmed at work, according to a Pew Research Center survey of teachers last fall. Waning job satisfaction over the last two decades has accompanied a decline in teachers’ sense of autonomy in the classroom, according to a recent study out of Brown University and the University at Albany. At Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Henderson, administrators allow their staff high levels of classroom creativity—and it works. “There is a lot of our own individual input allowed in doing the activities that we want to do in the classroom,” said Vanessa Stevenson, a middle school science teacher. “It’s a bit of trial and error because there’s nothing being handed to you saying, ‘Do it this way.’ You just have to figure it out,” she said. Joel Herbst, superintendent of Henderson and its sibling FAU High School calls the faculty his “secret sauce” and argues the school’s success can be duplicated anywhere—if administrators cede some control. When that happens, he said, teachers create hands-on programs that help students “not only show their understanding but gain more depth.” “Give (teachers) the freedom to do what they do best, which is to impart knowledge, to teach beyond the textbook,” he said. Portland State University education professor Madhu Narayanan, who studies teacher autonomy, said independence has a high correlation to faculty morale and success. But autonomy must be paired with administrative support. “It can’t be, ‘Here is the classroom, here is the textbook, we’ll see you in six months.’ Those teachers have tremendous autonomy, but feel lost,” he said. Even at a school where teachers exude enthusiasm, elementary art teacher Lindsey Wuest stands out—she can’t stand still while describing how her lessons center on science. In her Science as Art class, Wuest and a visiting artist are showing third graders how to make clay bobblehead dolls of endangered species—while also teaching the chemistry of why glazes change color in the kiln. “Hopefully, those students who love art can also develop a love of science,” she said. “Project-based learning sticks with the kids for longer.” “We have fun while we create stuff about science,” said third grader Maximus Mallow. This article was provided by The Associated Press.