Hey Teacher Tapp Community!
It’s Week 31 and for some of you the school year is coming to a close – but others still have a while to go! In any case, there’s still lots to think about as teachers, so let’s go!
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Now, time for the edu-data!
1. Sunday scaries are real 😩
Sunday nights are a notorious time for feeling down, especially if your weekend has been fun. (Possibly the only benefit of a bad weekend is that you sometimes look forward to work!)
But how often are you feeling anxious on Sundays before school on Monday?
- 31% said always
- 38% said sometimes
That’s nearly 7 in 10 teachers feeling dread as the weekend closes out.
This isn’t necessarily bad – a bit of anxiety can help us prepare for the week. But constantly giving over weekend time to worry wears people down. In fact, data from Gallup shows that teachers are among the most burned-out professions in the U.S. – 44% report feeling “always” or “very often” burned out at work.
One factor that appears to worsen the situation is student behavior on Friday afternoons. Teachers whose final lessons of the week are significantly disrupted by poor behavior are much more likely to feel anxious on Sundays—74% report feeling anxious ‘always’ or ‘sometimes.’ In contrast, for teachers who do not experience major behavioral issues, this percentage drops to 53%.
2. The Summer Hustle 😎
Given how stressful the school year is for teachers, you’d think the summer would be a chance to avoid Sunday scaries. But not for everyone!
When we asked about paid summer work:
- 28% of you are doing one-off summer jobs
- 16% are juggling year-round jobs alongside teaching
That’s nearly half of teachers taking on extra paid work outside the classroom. A recent NEA report showed the average teacher salary in many states hasn’t kept pace with inflation, which may mean that summer jobs are a necessity for some of you, rather than a choice.
Another question asked this week was about your parents’ college background and we wondered if this might affect your summer work hustle. After all, people whose parents had higher income generally start from a better financial position. So does it matter? Short answer: it doesn’t.
Even among teachers whose parents both went to college, 44% are working this summer. For first-gen teachers, it’s about the same. Financial pressures are hitting just about everyone.
3. 🌴 Summer Travel
This also may explain why teachers are rarely jetting off, despite the long vacation.
- Among teachers who finish school after June, nearly half (47%) say they are unlikely to take a vacation at all.
- Only 7% of all teachers surveyed have a trip abroad booked.
Even for those who finish in May, and therefore have a more pressing need to plan vacations, only about a third have one planned. So if you’re staying home this summer – you’re very much not alone.
Holidays around the world 🌍
We checked with our tappers in England, and many more are planning vacations. In April, only 21% said they weren’t planning on going anywhere, while 34% intended to travel overseas. Given England’s size compared to Florida, travel options can be more limited for those not going abroad!
4. If YOU ruled the (school) world
“What would you never do if you became an administrator?”
This is the open question we asked classroom-based tappers this week. Questions like this give insights into what frustrates people about administrators.
Hundreds of you answered. And what came back was a raw, honest, sometimes funny, account of your thoughts on leadership.
One big theme? Micromanagement. Teachers do not want to be bossed around on tiny things. “Micromanage!!!!” wrote one teacher — with four exclamation marks. Others added: “Hovering, nitpicking, double-checking — just let us teach.”
Another repeated theme was public undermining. Dozens of you mentioned leaders who criticize teachers in front of students or colleagues. One response put it simply: “Admonish a teacher in front of a student — never.”
There was also a dislike of performative positivity. We lost count of how many people mentioned the phrase “we’re a family” — and not in a positive way. One teacher wrote: “Don’t say we’re a family if you won’t even back me up when I ask for support.”
Other hot-button issues? Leaders who make policies without talking to staff and those who “listen to the loudest parent instead of their own team.” One of the reasons we’ve built Teacher Tapp is to make it easier to hear what teachers say and listen to the sector – not just parents. Do feel free to send these findings to anyone who should hear them!
We should also say it wasn’t all complaints. Many responses were quietly hopeful — showing exactly the kind of leadership teachers would like to see. Fairness. Transparency. Respect. Someone who “leads with care, not control” 💗
Daily Reads
We know lots of teachers on Teacher Tapp LOVE the daily reads! If you have ideas of reads we could feature, get in touch by emailing usa@teachertapp.com and we will check it out!
This week our most-read blog was from Richard James Rogers on the topic of making the most of your vacation.
Until next week!
