Something that I don’t think we talk enough about as educators is the concept of School Fit. By this I mean, does your workplace work for you? One teaching position (or administrative position) is not the same as another one, there are always differences. Some of the differences include the culture, the location, coworkers, the teaching assignment and more. I have met some teachers whom I would go out and encourage to come to a junior high school that I would not want to see in a high school and vice versa. 

When first starting out it is difficult to turn down a position so this may have less impact on your decision making as it might for more seasoned educators. As well if you don’t try different things then it becomes difficult to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. I often wonder though if School Fit isn’t partially responsible for the high turnover rate in early career teachers, in that it’s not so much the profession wasn’t a good Fit, but maybe it was the school itself. To be clear, this is not a comment on the objective quality of one school as compared to another, but rather the subjective qualities that align with the personality of the educator. While I am a relatively experienced educator, there are certain schools and roles I feel I would thrive in and some I would drown in. 

To this end, it may be worth asking some questions when looking for a new position. Here are three just to get you started:

What is the culture of the school?

The culture of the school often determines much about your job satisfaction. The culture of every building will be slightly different. Does the culture allow for professional autonomy? What is their approach to dealing with student behaviour? If you could sum up the motto of the school as a bumper sticker what would it be? How do students treat each other? How do staff treat one another? How do students and staff treat one another? Questions like these are worth exploring since they will determine much of your day-to-day experience.

How does this position impact the rest of my life?

Perhaps a new position would trigger you having to move houses, which can be disruptive to a family. If you are commuting then you will lose time each day as part of it (though some enjoy it since it helps with the work-home separation). It may be that a change of scenery is what you need. A different location may also mean more opportunities for a spouse or your kids (if you have either). 

A different role even in the same location may also be something to re-energize and present a new challenge. There is some truth to the maxim that a ‘change is as good as a rest.’ 

Personally, I have discovered that I enjoy being an administrator more than I did a teacher. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy teaching, but rather that I love being an administrator, especially in working with students who struggle. With it being a better Fit I find myself going home at the end of the day more in a more positive mood which helps me show up better for my family. Like any job there are some tough days and some really tough situations, but overall my job satisfaction is way higher.

What is the configuration of the school and courses you will be teaching?

I have taught math for most of my teaching career. I am okay at it (my wife is much better!) but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoyed teaching science which is my background. I also vastly prefer junior high to high school for a variety of reasons. So, a position teaching high school math, would be a far different experience for me than teaching junior high science. After learning this over and over again, I stopped looking for positions that I know weren’t going to work for me personally.

These are just a few considerations, I have no doubt you can think of many more questions as well that may be more relevant to you and your situation. There are also times when the Fit is right but you feel you need a change regardless. When looking at this you may want to consider what it is about your current situation that is working, or not working, for you. Knowing this can be very telling when on the job hunt since leaving a situation that wasn’t a great Fit for a similar one doesn’t make much sense and likely won’t serve you well. 

If you have been in the school before you may already have some ideas on whether the school is a good Fit for you. If you haven’t, it is worth asking around. Ask colleagues whose opinion you trust to weigh in. When interviewing, take the opportunity after to have a min-interview of your own for the administrators that work there to see if their philosophy and style align with yours. 

As a side note specific to school leaders, one of our duties is to help our teachers develop as educators. Doing this means that those same teachers who had great Fit may outgrow the role they are in and seek new challenges. This is a good thing! It means that you have succeeded in helping those teachers grow. There were others who likely put the same time into you so don’t begrudge others looking for something more suited, you should be doing the same thing after all.

Teachers are not interchangeable, and neither are the environments in which we work. Round pegs in round holes tend to work best. Giving some attention to that for us as educators is a worthwhile consideration for job satisfaction for all.