Ensuring Teachers Matter : Where to Focus First So Students Matter Most (The research-based concept of mattering and how teachers benefit when they feel meaning)

Teachers are critical to student success, but the profession of teaching is in crisis. When teachers feel a sense of purpose or meaningful significance, it leads to better student achievement, less burnout, and higher job satisfaction. Drawing from original research, this practical resource introduces eight essential elements of mattering that schools need to have for teachers to feel they matter.

• Learn how to integrate less pleasant aspects of the job with one’s values to achieve a goal
• Use the foundational elements of mattering survey and other tools to effect substantive school change
• Make smaller-scale changes to the work environment to meet individual needs
• Understand the purpose and importance of each element of mattering
• Learn about leaders’ obligations when it comes to mattering and what teachers should expect from them
• Explore the implications of all eight elements of mattering for teachers and leaders