T.J.’s Take: Investing in Our Teachers

Investing in Our Teachers

Take a moment and think back to your days in school. We can all recall a teacher who significantly impacted our lives in some way, whether it was inspiring our career paths, offering wisdom, coaching us beyond our perceived limits, or simply showing care and compassion when it was needed most. We can all think of at least one individual. Hopefully, you think of many.

For me, the answer will always be Mrs. Lifshey. She was my 11th grade English teacher, and she refused to accept anything less than my best. Taking the time to get to know me and learn what mattered to me was just as important as making sure my thesis was well defended. She kept in touch with me through college, helped me grow as a young English teacher, and was there to celebrate with me on my wedding day.

We have all heard the saying that teaching is a calling. Sadly, fewer people have heard that calling in recent years. Colleges and universities across the country have reported steep declines in the number of undergraduates pursuing education degrees and teaching certificates in the past decade. I believe that one of the major factors driving this change is the exceedingly challenging nature of the job—which was only exacerbated by a global pandemic. According to a January 2022 National Education Association survey, 55 percent of members say they are more likely to leave or retire from education sooner than planned because of the pandemic. With more teachers leaving and fewer young adults pursuing careers in education, we face a dire and urgent problem.

At Episcopal, we are in a healthy position right now. We have some of the most dedicated, talented, and compassionate teachers. They challenge and they nurture, which can often be a difficult balance to strike. They make countless sacrifices and consistently place the needs of their students ahead of their own. They dedicate their lives to shaping the lives of our children, ultimately helping to ensure a bright future.

Simply take a look at our “A Day in the Life” cover story to gain a sense of how EA educators spend their extremely busy days (and nights), all in service to our students. What makes our teachers even more extraordinary is their drive to constantly learn and grow professionally. We recognize that our pursuit of excellence is paramount to the success of our students, and that collaboration among our teachers is essential to this pursuit.

We have always done our share of exploring best practices in schools. I am proud to say that we are not a school that lives in isolation, overconfident in our own abilities and knowledge. We constantly seek out and learn from others, asking critical questions to drive improvement. We then take what we learn and do something more: We seek to have the work make sense for Episcopal. We ask, “How will this work best for EA teachers and students? How can we ground this in our mission and timeless values?”

Our impressive professional development days are designed by and for EA’s own teachers and focus on our school’s greatest needs. Our Center for Teaching and Learning hosts regular programming and works one-on-one with our teachers on any skills, techniques, or tools with which each individual needs help. Robust professional development funds allow our teachers to work with outside experts and organizations to advance their skills in particular areas of passion. Our collaborative culture leads to constant best practice sharing and peer-to-peer counsel in our hallways, at our lunch tables, and in our faculty offices. We are all constantly talking about ways to more effectively engage and support our students while fulfilling our critical mission.

Our work, of course, will never be done. That is the nature of it. We work within a changing world, and our students today will always be different than our students of yesterday. They need to be challenged and nurtured and inspired in new ways. And so we model what we want from them. We learn. We grow. We innovate.

I am beyond grateful to be a part of a community that truly values growth. Through the generosity of our parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends, we are able to attract the best and brightest teachers, offer them a vibrant and flexible network of support, help them grow and succeed, and celebrate them for preparing the next generation of leaders. Your investment in our teachers makes it possible for Episcopal to be prepared for any eventuality, from the pandemic to whatever is next in an unpredictable, rapidly changing world.

-Dr. T.J. Locke, The Greville Haslam Head of School