Alabama Teachers Bring Passion and Commitment to Their Challenging Work

100% of Alabama teachers agree that teaching is more than a profession; it is how they make a difference in the world. This sentiment is reflected in their reasons for becoming a teacher, which include the following:

• To make a difference in children’s lives (88%)
• To help students reach their full potential (73%)
• To share their love of learning and teaching with others (73%)
• To experience and be a part of those “aha” moments when things “click” for a student (62%)

Far fewer Alabama teachers say they chose their career for reasons unrelated to students or the love of learning—for example, to have summers off (15%).

100% of Alabama teachers see their roles extending beyond academics to include things like reinforcing good citizenship, building resilience and developing social skills.

Still, Alabama teachers acknowledge many challenges in their profession.

• Constantly changing demands on both teachers and students is far and away the challenge most cited by Alabama teachers (78%).
• From there, Alabama teachers most often report limited earning potential (49%), lack of time to collaborate with colleagues (48%) and too-large class sizes (45%) as significant challenges.

Complex classroom dynamics also add to the challenges in Alabama’s classrooms, and teachers are working with students of varied learning levels and characteristics.

• 99% of Alabama teachers have at least one student in their classroom who needs assistance or intervention for social, emotional or behavioral challenges.
• 76% of Alabama teachers work in classrooms with student reading levels that span four or more grades.
• 73% of Alabama teachers have special education students in their classroom.
• 64% of Alabama teachers have students in their classroom who are working two or more grades below grade level.
• 59% of Alabama teachers have students in their classroom who are gifted or who are working significantly above grade level.
• 38% of Alabama teachers have English Language Learners in their classroom.

Notably, 94% of Alabama teachers agree that the rewards of teaching outweigh the challenges. Further, the majority of Alabama teachers feel gratified by their careers, with a full 88% saying they are either satisfied (46%) or very satisfied (42%) in their profession.

National data reveal teachers overall are more likely to say they are very satisfied in their jobs when they feel the voices of teachers like them are heard. In Alabama, a strong majority of teachers (69%) feel their voices are heard in the schools where they teach. That perception changes, however, the further away teachers get from their school. Far fewer Alabama teachers feel heard at the district level (31%), and fewer still at either the state or national level (7%). This pattern is consistent across all states. The Primary Sources study is one part of the solution to this challenge as it widely shares the views of teachers in Alabama on the most pressing issues facing education today.