Anonymous #157

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #157

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?

Primary

What is your occupation?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

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

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Elevating the profession can not be undertaken through strategies which strip / undermine the very nature of the professional journey to becoming an accredited teacher.

Appropriate entry conditions to support growth and development of confidence in the early years of teacher must be establish in a consistent way.

Status will be elevated when community sees school leaders / teachers being appropriately supported to enable them to accomplish expectations .... resources / services / professional development

The 'authority' of the profession is constantly being questioned via cheap political scapegoating ... constant and ongoing curriculum change (often without meaningful consultation) ... and piling on of responsibilities .... the message is we actually can't cover what is on the table at the moment .... and just how much can kids absorb anyway ...

We need to be able to expect that our workplaces will be places of safety and respect ... teachers are vulnerable from (very sadly) parents and 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.

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Avoid "short cuts" .... teachers entering via such paths ways are more often than not ill prepared ... more likely to leave the profession .... and more likely to required intensive support at workplace level

For those already having moved along the traditional pathway it can be seen as a 'kick in the teeth' and presents a view that teaching is easy / 9-3 job / lots of holidays ... absolutely not the case for the majority of hard working teachers

The impact of COVID ...current shortages and impact on students, staff and school communities ... add to this the aging profile of teachers ... this problem we currently is only going to bulge

While there may be various pathways into the profession .... the entry scores can not afford to be reduced ... this backfires in regards to perceptions of quality of teachers too

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

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

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

entry requirements must be stringent

realistic perceptions of what teaching requires (recently had through a batch of prac students ... all failed) ... maybe some opportunities to do a work experience in schools prior to sign up

increases in work with students ...including mini projects (series of lessons in a school / subject and/or topic) ... not needed for weeks / all day)

long term prac students under the pump ... often running school + a job .... factor in some financial support so they can get greater benefit from the prac experience ... not a made juggle ... not necessarily really understand what its about .... and if less pressured / better quality pracs and maybe the drop off that as occurred of teachers taking in prac students will increase

Maximising the time to teach

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

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Support services expanded to assist with quick responsiveness to assessments and support .... alleviate a) long time spent trying to chase down contacts b) allow for quicker and more targeted programs to be developed and c) see progress earlier

Curriculum support materials

Greater confidence in teacher judgement ...and support to develop / build

Questioning systems / schools "over assessment" practices

Primary .... more planning time

Greater access to needed professional development

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?

Moderately 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?

Provided such processes and contained within the various agreements struck by unions

Provided that such opportunities are supported by additional resourcing attached to the position which will enable responsibilities to be carried out without the burden of excessive workload ....

Provided that when 'leadership projects' are implemented by governments e.g. WA and the career teacher leaders appropriate planning is undertaken and salary / conditions / status / career path trajectories are part of the process ... in an ongoing manner