Living Academic Research
Dr. Sean Yisrael
A Qualitative Case Study: The Positive Impact Interdisciplinary Teaming Has On Teacher Morale
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Dr. Sean Yisrael
Title: C.E.O. Educational Practitioners for Better Schools Research Topic: A Qualitative Case Study: The Positive Impact Interdisciplinary Teaming Has On Teacher Morale Committee Chair: Dr. Michael Dantley Abstract: Many secondary teachers, especially those with less than five years of experience, find the traditional isolation of teaching to be very problematic. Within various public spheres, the official discourse among teachers has been reduced to compliance and conformity, instead of engaging in critical debates that will translate into effective practices that could boost student achievement. One of the most common negative outcomes resulting from teachers being isolated is the decrease in their morale |
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BioDr. Sean B. Yisrael is the C.E.O. of Educational Practitioners for Better Schools, an education consulting firm created to provide professional development and enrichment services to teachers, school administrators, and education based institutions.
He began his career in 1997 as a social studies teacher in Ohio. He eventually moved into the ranks of school administration – having served as an assistant principal starting in 2004, a freshman academy principal in 2006, and a high school principal from 2008-2014. While serving as a high school principal for the District of Columbia Public Schools, Dr. Yisrael was able to increase his student enrollment from 190 students in 2008 to 854 students in 2014. He also decreased the schools truancy rate by an average of 8% each year, while improving the graduation rate by 15% annually. Furthermore, while under Dr. Yisrael’s leadership, the high school increased Math and Language Arts scores on the CASAS Test by a yearly average of 12% respectively. |
ScholarshipDr. Yisrael has authored several educational books as well. Some of his more notable titles are Classroom Management: A Guide for Urban School Teachers, The 12 Laws of Urban School Leadership, The Hard Truth: Problems and Issues in Urban School Reform, The Cleopatra Teacher Rules, and The Warrior Principal: New Leadership for Urban Schools – all published by Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Company.
He is also a sought after speaker, having made speeches and presentations at various school districts throughout the Midwest, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Dr. Yisrael has dedicated his life’s work to ensuring that all students, regardless of their socio-economic status, are able to receive a quality public education from well-trained professionals. He believes in providing stakeholders with quality leadership that’s responsive to their needs. |
AbstractMany secondary teachers, especially those with less than five years of experience, find the traditional isolation of teaching to be very problematic. Within various public spheres, the official discourse among teachers has been reduced to compliance and conformity, instead of engaging in critical debates that will translate into effective practices that could boost student achievement. One of the most common negative outcomes resulting from teachers being isolated is the decrease in their morale. When morale decreases among the teaching staff, teachers lose passion for what they do. Many schools districts today are moving toward more collaborative structural models that give teachers more autonomy over their daily work, and involving them in the decision making process. The purpose of this research was to determine the positive impact interdisciplinary teaming has on teacher morale. The researcher was interested in this area of research for a couple of reasons. First, there was an interest in learning more about a school structure like interdisciplinary teaming, which allows teachers to use their time within the school day to plan, collaborate, and dialogue about issues that directly affect them. Secondly, the researcher also wanted to bring out the importance of having high staff morale within a school organization. When a healthy school environment exists and teachers’ morale is high, teachers feel good about themselves and what they are able to do for students. In order to find out if interdisciplinary teaming positively impacts teacher morale, the researcher conducted a qualitative case study on a ninth grade interdisciplinary team of teachers. Throughout the twelve weeks of the study, individual interviews and observations were conducted in order to gain an understanding of how the teachers felt the interdisciplinary teaming process impacted their morale. The five chapters of this document include the development, process, and results of the research. What was learned from the research was that interdisciplinary teaming had a positive impact on teacher morale.
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The Unexpected
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