Dialectical Journal
September 13, 2007
By: Teresa Hinton
Green, G. & Reese, S. (Winter2006) Job Satisfaction Among High School Athletic Administrators, Education, Vol. 127, Issue 2, p 318-320
COLLECT / REFLECT / COMMENTS“Hoppock (1935) defined job-satisfaction as any combination of psychological, physiological, and environmental circumstances that causes a person to say “I am satisfied with my job.” Similarly, Locke (1969) viewed overall job satisfaction as “the pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job as achieving or facilitating the achievement of one’s values” (p.316). He explained that values exist in relation to their perceived effects on the individual. Thus, “the causes of job satisfaction are not in the job nor solely in man but lie in the relationship between them” (p. 319).” (p. 318)
“…the work environment, relationship with co-workers, and a person’s perceived position within the organization may affect job satisfaction levels the most.” (p. 319)
“Role conflict builds gradually, especially for coaches and athletic administrators, because the coaching role receive more attention than the teaching aspect, the expectations are higher, and the immediate rewards are greater (Siedentop, 2004). The performance of coaches is open and often subjected to frequent evaluations by parents, administrators, and the community. Teaching is a private act, and whether successful or not, the single role of teaching may not encounter the public challenges as that of its dual role counterparts.” (p. 319)
“Balancing the highs and lows can be an awesome task. While the emotional highs are intrinsically rewarding, the lows can be debilitating and result in extreme job dissatisfaction. It is difficult to live up to a “supreme” model expected by student-athletes and the community. Other sources of conflict and dissatisfaction comes from unclear job duties, policies, and responsibilities which are often associated with the administrative structure of the job.” (p. 319-320) / I chose this piece because of the authors and the location of their respective educational institutions. Based right here in the state of Georgia, essentially on our doorstep, Dr. Gregory Green of Fort Valley State University and Dr. Shirley A. Reese of Georgia State University discuss a group of teachers that I had not even considered, that of teacher/coaches. Admittedly, this article is not one of great length or depth, but upon reading it I felt that the information was relevant to my study of teacher morale. It defined job satisfaction/morale in terms that are easy to understand and apply directly to the intent of my study.
I think that we as teachers are on a continual quest to draw satisfaction from our environment, our collegial relationships, and our positions within our educational institutions. We are willing to take from our own familial needs to invest in the long hours of planning that are needed to become exceptional teachers. I see my colleagues on a daily basis give of themselves in order to build relationships that foster outstanding instruction for the students at my school. I also see a distinct challenge according to the position of the teacher within the hierarchy of each grade. There is a tension evident regardless of whether the teacher is “brand new” trying to assimilate into the culture of the school or a seasoned veteran who is juggling the demands of a leadership position, i.e. grade level chair.
I have seen the “coach” at my school as simply another teacher with the same duties and responsibilities as others. I failed to recognize or realize that there was a whole other dimension in which he operates. That makes me reflect upon the coaches who were instrumental in guiding and challenging my daughters throughout their junior and senior high school years. I took for granted the many hours they spent after school and on weekends, the dedication to their teams and parents, and the planning that must have been given to coordinating their own family lives with that of teaching and coaching.
I think back to one particular coach who was a great role model and all around wonderful guy. He was cheered when the team was winning, but the jeers and hatefulness from the crowd and many parents was intolerable. He ultimately resigned his position and moved to a smaller school with hopefully better mannered people. I cannot imagine the ride he must have had from the highs of winning to the lows of defeat. I gained a new respect for those who try to juggle teaching and coaching.