Abstract:

In the teaching profession, it is recognized that professional development of teachers is a human development model. Professional development must be more than just 'staff development' relegated to one or two days per year giving the same information to everyone regardless of their education, experience and/or interest. Additionally, the profession of teaching suffers from a commonly held belief that 'anyone can teach'. Loneliness and anxiety exists for teachers. The result is a job situation of unresolved conflict. Add in more recent escalations in school violence and safety incidents and it should not be a surprise that teaching has been described by some as one of the most stressful occupations. Excellence can seem disjointed with any reward systems that exist if they exist at all. In some states and countries, a rise in private, charter and homeschooling has occurred as parents struggle to be sure the needs of their children are being met in an educational setting. One possible contributor to a feeling of helplessness on the part of teachers is a lack of autonomy and being treated as if they are all the same in terms of needs, motivations and rewards. The theory of career stages seeks to better understand the individual teacher and where they may exist currently in their practice. The idea of career stages of teachers and a comprehensive professional development model recognizes that it's what is inside of teachers that keeps the fire burning. Motivated teachers can accomplish great tasks and feats and the stakes are too high not to have all teachers functioning at their highest capacities. As the trends of more accountability, increased responsibilities often with no increase in resources and alternative methods of teacher certification continue, higher education institutions would benefit from realizing that as we prepare teachers, we need to consider career stages to increase the likelihood of increased student learning. Several models exist such as Kohlberg, Erikson, Fessler and Christensen and Steffy. Instruments to measure a career stage of a teacher are lacking. This paper will describe the development process of an instrument to help determine which of the career stages a teacher might be in such as anticipatory, expert, survival, exit, renewal, disillusionment and rejuvenation. Implications for the federal, state and local levels will be given with specific focus on how this theory perhaps could improve teacher preparation of both the preservice and inservice teacher despite the route taken to achieve teacher certification. Problems with static career ladders, inadequate estoric knowledge of teaching and fixed staff development models will be explored. Knowledge of the theory of career stages and its implications holds much promise to future and current teachers, administrators, school personnel, parents and ultimately the consumer of education, the student. This session will provide the steps to development of an instrument as well as practical ways for educational professionals to consider the theory of career stages in their professional practice.

Keywords:

Teachers, theory of career stages, motivation of teachers, autonomy of teachers.