Generation Y Teachers

"Gen Y Teachers Seek Feedback, Opportunities for Growth"
by Liana Heitin
Education Week
Posted online on April 21, 2011
http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2011/04/20/gen_y_report.html?tkn=WMLFW2gpVVzBtc99pkqfWCLfL3Xhd%2BnQGDqJ&cmp=ENL-TU-NEWS2

This article is based on a study done in 2007 about Generation Y (born between 1977 and 1995) public school teachers and what they are looking for in their careers in teaching.  It confirms what I had seen in the private sector with employees I worked with and managed.  Gen Y people like frequent assessment and coaching, the opportunity to work with others, to learn from "the masters", being paid based on performance and to not be micro-managed.  What was new to me was the revelation that Gen Y'ers do NOT like standardized tests for a variety of different reasons, though I think they come down to one point: the tests are an unfair assessment of their learning.

Gen Y teachers also said they would stay in their profession for a long time, but as I have seen in the private sector (and the author mentions it also) if the above stated requirements are not met Gen Y'ers will not hesitate to bolt and go elsewhere.  My concern is the school environment will have to drastically change for these new teachers to thrive and survive.  With creativity being stifled, more emphasis on tests and pay not really based on performance, the education environment could become extremely frustrating for them.

When I was managing Gen Y'ers they were my favorite people to work with because they were extremely open to constructive criticism, shared easily with me about their successes and struggles, did not need a lot of hand-holding and tended to be extremely creative in getting the job done.  Schools, restrictive unions and districts and administration need to read this study so they can realize that they have great opportunities with these young teachers, but if they do not let up on the Gen Y'ers' the schools will lose them.