New Jersey Teachers Bring Passion and Commitment to Their Challenging Work

Nearly every New Jersey teacher (97%) agrees 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 (86%)
• To share their love of learning and teaching with others (74%)
• To help students reach their full potential (72%)
• To experience and be a part of those “aha” moments when things “click” for a student (62%)

Far fewer New Jersey teachers say they chose their career for reasons unrelated to students or the love of learning—for example, to have summers off (10%).

Nearly all New Jersey teachers (99%) see their roles extending beyond academics to include things like reinforcing good citizenship, building resilience and developing social skills.

Still, New Jersey teachers acknowledge many challenges in their profession.

• Constantly changing demands on both teachers and students is far and away the challenge most cited by New Jersey teachers (83%).
• From there, New Jersey teachers most often report lack of time to collaborate with colleagues (57%) and a need for more parent-teacher collaboration (42%) as significant challenges.

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

• 98% of New Jersey teachers have at least one student in their classroom who needs assistance or intervention for social, emotional or behavioral challenges.
• 62% of New Jersey teachers have special education students in their classroom.
• 57% of New Jersey teachers work in classrooms with student reading levels that span four or more grades.
• 56% of New Jersey teachers have students in their classroom who are working two or more grades below grade level.
• 51% of New Jersey teachers have students in their classroom who are gifted or who are working significantly above grade level.
• 38% of New Jersey teachers have English Language Learners in their classroom.

Notably, 89% of New Jersey teachers agree that the rewards of teaching outweigh the challenges. Further, the majority of New Jersey teachers feel gratified by their careers, with a full 87% saying they are either satisfied (47%) or very satisfied (41%) 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 New Jersey, a majority of teachers (56%) 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 New Jersey teachers feel heard at the district level (25%), and fewer still at either the state or national level (3%). 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 New Jersey on the most pressing issues facing education today.