Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1156982
Job factors ranked in order of importance, based on a 2018 survey with 4,100 respondents: 0 200 1000 600 1400 400 1200 800 1600 1800 2000 Supportive leadership Positive relationships at work Scheduling flexibility Comfortable workspace Chance to learn real skills Meaningful roles & responsibilities Opportunities to be promoted Extra pay for going the extra mile Convenient location Autonomy and creative freedom what I 'm doing and learning," says Booe, a member of APT. "Our generation is more willing to try differ- ent things, and if we fail, it's OK. We were raised in a growth-mindset way." Sometimes Gen Z-style teaching can look different from the typical classroom, she admits. "I think my generation is actively trying to break the mold. We are intentionally creating classrooms that may be a little louder and maybe a little more interactive. We are putting an emphasis on interactive learning that's different than direct instruction. But just because our classrooms are a little louder doesn't mean we are off task or goofing off." THEY'RE TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Gen Z prefers texting to talking, and email or Google Hangout to meetings. ey are extremely collaborative, but they don't always need to collaborate in person. " We don't need as many formalities," says Trosper. " We're fine having instant communication on text or emails. And we want more of a voice in our profes- sional development." Indeed, Gen Z educators are taking more responsibility for their professional devel- o p m e n t , s a y s L a n d i s . Inst ead of waiting to b e told what they need, they send her blog posts or articles they have seen online, asking her to help them implement new ideas. " They can look at Twitter daily and discover things they want to tr y. Their style of learning looks different, and they want to make sure what they are learning is relevant to what they are doing." Hernandez-Flores of the New Teacher Center says that without being asked, Gen Z teachers send mentors videos of themselves teaching and request feedback, which never happened with mil- lennials. But Gen Z members think nothing of it, since they are used to sharing their lives online via social media, and see it as a way to grow as professionals. THEY SUPPORT UNIONS According to techrepublic.com, 46 percent of Gen Z members are freelancers. While providing f lexibility, gig-economy jobs lack security, benefits and a reliable income, which Gen Z values because it represents safety and security. That may be one reason why unionism is being embraced by Gen Z workers. "Jobs are precarious, health care costs are skyrocketing, and wages aren't keeping up with the cost of living — no wonder young peo- ple are organizing," writes Michelle Chen in The Nation, noting that workers age 35 and under are the main component of an unprecedented surge in union membership over the past two years. Nationwide in 2017, nearly 860,000 workers under age 35 got hired, and nearly a quar- ter of those were union jobs. "Gen Z is not afraid of the word union," says Manzanedo. "New teach- ers and those entering the profession are signing up in large numbers for union membership. It helps that the union is expanding from bread- and-butter issues to student-centered issues." e power of unions has been noticed by Gen Z teachers, who closely followed the strikes in Los Angeles, Oakland and New Haven. Some, like Trosper, went on strike. " We saw that CTA was fighting on behalf of students," says Man- zanedo. " Teachers took a stand , so their students could get the education they deserve. Generation Z has buy-in. We understand that together, we are stronger." This is the second part of a special report on Gen Z. For part one (on younger Gen Zers), go to californiaeducator.org. Francisco Garcia uses Plickers cards to answer multiple-choice questions. What Gen Z Seeks at Work Rainmaker Thinking 41 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 019