Anonymous #114

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #114

Where are you located?

Western Australia

What type of area do you live in?

Metropolitan

Are you an education professional?
(e.g. teacher, school leader, learning support assistant, teacher’s aide)

Yes

Which sector do you work in?

Secondary

What is your occupation?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

The actions proposed recognise the value teachers bring to students, communities and the economy.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

There is nothing in these actions for subjects like The Arts- Performing and Visual.

STEM is all well and good, but the creative thing component comes from the Arts. This is always left behind and left as an afterthought.

This is atrocious considering how much art was consumed during the recent pandemic and how much it is relied upon for mental health and wellbeing. A major issue for all members of society.

The Arts are fundamental in developing an effective critical and creative thinking framework for students as shown the general capabilities of the curriculum. As well as explicit teaching of the other aspects of the general capabilities in a more accessible way for students.

Improving teacher supply

The actions proposed will be effective in increasing the number of students entering ITE, number of students completing ITE and the number of teachers staying in and/or returning to the profession.

Somewhat disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

What is defined as a “right subject and specification”? How will this be determined?

Currently there is a need to a certain subject, but by the time the ITE is completed these may have changed?

When it comes to high achieving teachers are they going to be ‘new’ teachers or teachers that have been in the classroom teaching that can prove through practice and example they are high achievers?

It’s difficult at the moment to attain and prove evidence for level 3 teacher status since it has to be associated with a new initiative for the school in question. For the level 3 funding to be approved. There are so many hoops that ITE and current teachers have to go through to provide evidence of our competency and ongoing competence it’s overwhelming.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

The actions proposed will ensure initial teacher education supports teacher supply and quality.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Too much weight is given to standardized testing.
The competency of ITE literacy and numeracy should be part of the assessment process similar to what teachers have to do in their assessments for their students. An added standardized assessment puts undue pressure and workload on ITE students. I have experienced this with my ITE students as they come through for their practicuums. They have the workload of a classroom teacher with added pressure to complete the LANTITE testing is ridiculous.

ITE should have the literacy and numeracy skills embedded to lessen the burden on students.

Maximising the time to teach

The actions proposed will improve retention and free up teachers to focus on teaching and collaboration.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

This is the thing… what is teacher workload?
In my eight years of teaching the amount of administrative tasks that have been handed down to the classroom teacher has been exponentially increased. We are required to teach the students physically in front of us and those absent. Providing work packets for non attendance, suspended, unapproved holiday students. The administration tasks are constantly increasing with constant communication with caregivers, student services and executive staff.

The amount of time needed to prepare resources for classes and activities has increased significantly due to the need to create ‘engaging’ classroom environments for students to participate in. The amount of criteria required to cover in the curriculum has also increased and the time required to cover this has decreased due to various factors. These factors include school initiatives to ‘improve’ students study skills, cybersecurity awareness, and other school systems in a formal lecture style formats impacts on student achievement.

These cohort sized activities usually involve taking students out of a scheduled class (more often than not elective classes) and disrupts the learning process for these students. Further to this the main classes affected detrimentally are the performing arts classes that are relocated to spaces that are not appropriate for the classroom activities and resources needed for these courses.

Similarly, the requirement for senior high school classes to teach multiple courses in the one timetabled class. Or for courses that have a practical component to not be classified as a practical class and therefore the class sizes are very large and create an unsafe environment for students. There are many subjects that have practical components in their curriculum:
- Languages
- Art
- Drama
- Dance
- Music
- PE
- Science
- Media
- Design

I could keep going, but I’m currently on sick leave completing this survey and it’s taken hours to complete

Better understanding future teacher workforce needs

How effective are the proposed actions in better understanding future teacher workforce needs, including the number of teachers required?

Slightly effective

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Better career pathways to support and retain teachers in the profession

The proposed actions will improve career pathways, including through streamlining the process for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) accreditation, and providing better professional support for teachers to retain them in the profession.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Personally I don’t know if I want to continue being a teacher anymore. My work life balance is so skewed towards work since I have to bring home so much stuff to prep or mark or plan I don’t feel like I have a life anymore. It was easier working a retail job when I left work it didn’t follow me home and interfere with my personal life.