Being a Bilingual Teacher:

Factors that Influence Retention of Bilingual Teachers

Initial Investigations by

Rita Deyoe-Chiullán, Ph.D.

The Recent Research

• When conducted by induction and mentoring programs, it shows they help retain teachers.

• When developed as exemplary programs, thorough and extended induction programs are terminated soon after they begin, due to cost, time, and personnel considerations.

Objective Data showing which teachers leave by certification

route, generally indicate that…

• More newly certified University program graduates fail to enter teaching in the first year they are eligible to teach. No No one asks whether they intended to one asks whether they intended to begin teaching then (or raise young begin teaching then (or raise young families first); no one indicates families first); no one indicates whether teaching jobs for which whether teaching jobs for which they were qualified were available they were qualified were available where they were living.where they were living.

Objective Data indicate that…

• More Alternatively prepared teachers leave teaching in the first few years. No one asks whether No one asks whether they left because they found better they left because they found better opportunities in another field or opportunities in another field or because they were unsuccessful or because they were unsuccessful or unprepared for the first position to unprepared for the first position to which they were assigned.which they were assigned.

And some objective data conclude that…

• By the end of three years of teaching, alternatively certified teachers’ students score as well on high-stakes tests as those of their University-prepared colleagues who are also in their third year of teaching. No No one mentions whether that is because all of one mentions whether that is because all of them are doing them are doing full-timefull-time test-prep for the test-prep for the high stakes tests and little else. And no high stakes tests and little else. And no one asks about the first two sets of children one asks about the first two sets of children they taught…they taught…

Objective data that strictly count things and/or people…

• Tell us who did what for how long with how many producing which one-day-a-year test results.

• Do NOT tell us Do NOT tell us whywhy they were they were there or there or howhow they influenced they influenced those results.those results.

How else might we discover what is important in retaining

teachers?

• Ask the teachers what would make them choose to go or stay?

• What a novel idea!

Survey slide 1

1. What events or experiences would have caused you to leave the teaching profession and find a different line of work? This may be something that happened to you, or to a friend or something you imagine.

Survey slide 2

(This is NOT the order of answers on the survey; this is their order as ranked by the teachers who responded.

In order Most Often Ranked #1, #2

• 4,3 being offered substantially more money for work that has similar rewards in terms of serving humanity

• 4,2 having an administrator who sets out to prove a teacher incompetent

• 2,0 couldn’t happen–I was born to teach and I probably won’t stop til I drop—Some call it “VOCATION”

• 1,1 being physically assaulted by a student or someone else in a school

• 0,2 having no real mentor or friend to turn to at school when faced with new or serious challenges

Survey slide 3

• These are the people, events or experiences that kept me from leaving teaching or a particular school or district in my first year or first two years of teaching…

Survey slide 4

(This is NOT the order of answers on the survey; this is their order as ranked by the teachers who responded.

In order Most Often Ranked #1, #21. a principal who believed in me and who gave me an

opportunity to overcome my errors 6, 02. a very supportive family, partner, friends, pets at

home for sympathy, encouragement 5, 13. the support of the parents of my students 3, 34. a strong personal and/or philosophical commitment

to the value of the work I am doing 3, 25. religious beliefs that supported me in times of doubt

and difficulty 3, 1

Survey slide 5

In order Most Often Ranked #1, #26. an official mentor who was paid extra to help me

learn how to do the job 3, 07. students who made me feel I was important to them

2, 38. direct support with modeling of instructional

strategies from a specialist for new teacher support provided by my school district 2, 2

Survey slide 6

In order Most Often Ranked #1, #2

9. an informal mentor who wasn’t paid but took me under her/his wing and anticipated my every need for guidance, information and support 2, 0

10. having a good sense of humor 2, 011. relishing my addiction to caffeine in its many life-

saving forms–coffee, Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, chocolate 2, 0

12. direct support, including visits to my school from my college, university or AC program professor/supervisor/specialist/coordinator 1, 2

13. having a copy of the poem “Invictus” in my desk drawer. (Let me know if you need a copy.) 1, 0

14. Getting the technology I needed when I needed it (added response) 1, 0

Survey slide 7

The Pilot Survey Respondents• Ages:Ages: 20-30 (7) 30-40 (4) 40-50 (3)• Years Teaching in Texas:Years Teaching in Texas: Range of experience 0-21 years, 7 in first year of teaching in Texas (four are experienced teachers)Others have 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 21 years experience; one is UG

teaching major• Type of Certification Route:Type of Certification Route:6 have teaching degrees that included Texas certification4 have teaching degrees + out-of-state/country Texas certification4 were certified through local Alternative Certification programsAll are involved in a professional organization for teachers and/or

graduate studies in education.

Addenda…• I commented as they were finishing the survey that

I had failed to include as a possible negative influence the hostile environment that bilingual (and even ESL) teachers sometimes encounter from colleagues who resent or “do not believe in” bilingual/ESL programs.

• Several teachers immediately responded that this was truly a factor that impacted their comfort in working in a building and that they had experienced being treated as “second class” by some other teachers because of their teaching assignments.

Observations…• It is good that new programs are being developed to ensure

principals are well-prepared for all aspects of their roles.• One priority should be to ensure that they learn how to

develop good teachers, not just to select or reject them.• Clearly, in the eyes of teachers, building leadership is more

important to teacher retention than induction programs.• However, supportive induction by colleagues who

understand the particular needs and roles of bilingual and ESL teachers could certainly be helpful.

• Perhaps the support afforded by good induction programs has sometimes made it possible for new teachers, with the support of their mentors, to overcome challenges posed by limited leadership skills on the part of building administrators.

Beyond Bilingual Teaching…

• High quality bilingual and ESL programs will not be fully or properly implemented without leadership that understands all the parameters involved in growing the faculty needed to deliver excellence across cultures and through more than one language.

• Well-prepared administrators are essential, and bilingual and ESL teachers who are familiar with more than one culture in a non-superficial manner need to be encouraged to seek certification as administrators if that is a role they desire.

Beyond Bilingual Teaching…It is also crucial to have other supervisory and

administrative roles filled by teachers whose knowledge, experience and preparation, both academic and practical, includes deep knowledge of the languages and cultures of the pupils the schools serve, as well as respectful and sympathetic understanding of students’ parents and community.

We cannot prepare administrators, curriculum and instruction leaders and teacher induction specialists and mentors without qualified university faculty and funding sources to support serious academic preparation in education that is equitable, excellent, and global in focus, content, context.