Dive Brief:
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The 2017 Educator Confidence Report: Setting the Stage for the Digital Age, commissioned by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, had educators identify the challenges they face in the classroom and the opportunities for improved educational outcomes, eSchool News reports.
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According to the survey, 53% of teachers said they feel more positive about the state of the teaching profession today, an 11% increase from 2016, and 65% are feeling more confident about their ability to use ed tech in the classroom.
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The two biggest items on teacher wish lists were more engagement from parents (52%) and more time to collaborate with colleagues (49%).
Dive Insight:
The teaching profession is an ever-changing field. Teachers feel the shifting sand of policy, expectations and technological demands every day. Gone are the days when teachers merely had to know how to teach their subjects well. Now they must do it with technological expertise and flair in a landscape of changing standards and expectations.
Such challenges affect teacher attitudes toward technology and education, making collaboration all the more vital today. Experienced teachers must be able to share their subject matter knowledge and classroom management expertise with younger teachers, while younger ones usually have more current knowledge about managing technology.
In the midst of all these changes, teachers need to be empowered to share their thoughts on the state of education and how to improve it. Wise administrators will find strategies to make this empowerment happen. By doing so, everyone will benefit — including the students.
