06 Apr 5 Things to Keep in Mind When Relocating Teachers in Northern California
Regardless of the subjects they are teaching or the kind of pupils they nurture, teachers thrive on two things: the desire to impart knowledge, and the connection they must build with a community. Teachers are professionals who work at their best when they relate to their shareholders, whether these are their young charges, their parents, or their fellow academicians. Many of them even say that it is a passion or a calling, and not just a profession.
Global mobility professionals must keep this in mind once they relocate educators, including teachers and professors, from one region to another, especially in northern California.
Universities and public schools in need of firm hands and smart minds to guide the learning of the next generation are always on a hunt to look for top talent, even if it means searching for them outside the country.
Just a few quick tips on how global mobility professionals can make the relocating teacher’s stay warmer, and perhaps long-lasting. Some of them do renew their contracts, depending on their satisfaction with their new place of employment.
- Global mobility professionals must advise the teachers of the community they are relocating to in northern California. It is not just the accommodation, no matter how comfortable it is. What are the values of this California community and the educational institutions that have sprung from it? What are the activities that the neighbors informally encourage, like sports or family-centered events? What are the cultural landmarks that give this place its own unique place in history? Is the region diverse, and do its people respect plurality and diversity?
- Security is another important aspect that teachers look for. It is instinctive in them to protect their own. In the same way, they want to feel that they can be protected as they undergo their duties. What is the crime rate in California? How efficient is the police? Are the police stations near the schools and the public transport? How safe do the families who live there feel?
- Culture, art, and intellectual explorations should be part of the ecosystem. While the teacher will find a sufficient amount of that in the school, he is always seeking to expand his horizons. He will look for libraries, theater performances, symphonies that play at the park, and other kinds of activities that will teach him new things. Remember that he is always the one providing of his output to his students; he needs outlets from where he can get intellectual support and enrichment.
- Open, secure spaces. Their desire for connection usually makes teachers look for two elements in their accommodation: it must be secure enough to allow him moments of privacy, and at the same time it must have that expansive welcoming feeling that will encourage visitors to come to his house. Cold exteriors, steel fences, and the absence of a garden may dampen his spirit. A more suburbia-type of dwelling, however, will make him feel affinity with his new accommodations.
- Family-friendly facilities. Many teachers are either married, partnered, and with children. They and their significant others will look for family-friendly zones like playgrounds and daycare centers for their kids; youth organizations that can allow their teenagers to blend in; and perhaps even community gatherings like baseball games and barbecue cookouts where they can blend in and get to know their neighbors more closely. It is important for these teachers that their immediate family get to know their larger “families.”