According to the latest MetLife Survey of the American Teacher 
, there are significant changes afoot in the teaching profession. Teachers are embracing collaboration with colleagues, have a growing interest in “hybrid” teaching roles, and want to continue working in education beyond the traditional retirement age.
The changes come at a time when the profession is rife with challenges, including the looming retirement of baby boomers, economic pressures, and high-pressure accountability measures focused on teacher quality and student achievement. As a result, teachers’ roles are evolving, collaboration is being emphasized as never before, and educators are anxious to have their say in the country’s debate on education.
The “hybrid” teaching role, combining part-time classroom teaching with other roles in a school or the district, is becoming more common and has appeal to teachers, especially new teachers. More than half of teachers and half of principals report that some teachers in their school have such a role. Nearly four in 10 teachers (and 46 percent of new teachers) express an interest in working in such a role.
One-third of teachers report that they had a job outside of education before they became a teacher. Secondary teachers are more likely to have “career changers” as colleagues (89 percent versus 73 percent for elementary teachers), as are teachers who work in schools with high numbers of low-income students (82 percent versus 72 percent).
For school administrators worried about the potential for mass retirements of their baby boom-aged teachers, there’s a ray of hope. Three quarters of teachers say they would like to continue to work in education beyond traditional retirement from classroom teaching.
Teachers are interested in voicing their opinions on educational issues but don’t feel as though anyone is listening. Sixty-nine percent do not believe that their voices are heard in the debate on education.
In terms of strategies to boost student success, most teachers (67 percent) and principals (78 percent) believe that increased collaboration among teachers and school leaders could foster significant increases in student achievement. Almost all surveyed teachers participate in collaborative activity each week (2.7 hours per week on average). For administrators looking to boost morale, collaboration could be the key. Schools with increased levels of collaboration are associated with shared leadership and higher levels of trust and job satisfaction.
