Everyone wants to know why teachers are leaving the profession in such high numbers, but they rarely explain their reasons, which leaves us all guessing. Money and mental health are the explanations most often cited. A recent National Education Association survey found that 55 percent of its members are now contemplating leaving the profession earlier than they had planned. Over the years I have followed up with many colleagues after they left their teaching posts, and most do not describe general reasons. They recount specific events that shaped their decision.
The meeting I never forgot
A few years ago I was pulled suddenly from class to interpret for a meeting. As a multilingual speaker, I was often enlisted to interpret at any. given. time. I had not been briefed beforehand, and I was asked to interpret for parents and one of my colleagues, a teacher who was not new to education but was new to both our school and our state. I knew this teacher’s conscious efforts to reach out to families, her passion for teaching, and her ongoing work to secure resources for her students. During the meeting I kept the dialogue moving between all parties, listening and translating exactly what was said. But because I had been seated at the head of the table, I was expected to serve two roles at once, interpreter and school leader. At the end, the parent interjected to say that the teacher hates her son. Stunned, I paused, wanting to soften the blow with diplomacy. I felt conflicted between my expertise as an interpreter, which requires integrity, and my knowledge of the situation, which needed sensibility. My training compelled me to choose the truth of the words over the truth of the reality. I knew how much my colleague loved her students, but accuracy ensured the parent was heard exactly as she expressed herself in her native language. With a quick glance at my colleague, I saw her react: tearing up, lowering her head, going silent. I felt the stress of it. I was dismissed back to my class, but I wished it had not ended on that note. I wanted to help make amends between my colleague and the parent. I wanted to end with a positive resolution.
Why fluency is not enough
Fluency in several languages does not ensure rapport. It merely allows a school to meet its basic moral obligation of opening the lines of communication. Building a positive school climate for students, their guardians, and their teachers requires intention, time, and commitment, and we cannot expect interpretation to achieve all of that in a single setting. Parents who express a negative sentiment do not need to be corrected. They need to be heard, and they need options for how to rectify the issue. They see the world through their children’s eyes, and students will not enumerate the chances they were given to complete their work, especially when they are also trying to evade consequences. Educators, meanwhile, need extensive support to engage effectively in cross-cultural communication with the families they serve. They need emotional support from both their peers and their school leaders.
The cost of silence
My colleague left the profession. She was later told by many people that this same parent had made accusations about several other teachers. What she had wished for was simple: to hear that information from an administrator who was aware, or to hear that her efforts to reach this parent and child were appreciated. Instead, the silence left her feeling inadequate. Educators rarely leave after a single incident. They leave after a pattern becomes too difficult to bear.
Support the whole teacher
As schools grow more diverse, cross-cultural communication skills are essential to empowering educators. We must support our teachers with better internal communication, including listening to their voices, and offer training targeted to their real needs. Self-care alone cannot make up for the stress that arises from disrespect, cultural misunderstanding, or a lack of resources. Just as we teach the whole child, we need to support the whole teacher.
Leila Kubesch is a keynote speaker, speaking coach, and author. Her keynote, The Art of the Ask, shows leaders and teams how to make the ask with confidence. To bring Leila to your event, write to Leila@LeilaKubesch.com.
