Anonymous #109

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #109

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?

Special education

What is your occupation?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

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

Somewhat disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Many teachers that deserve medals, wards etc, generally go unnoticed as they just 'get on with it' as opposed to the teachers that will get awards and medals etc due to either doing a project or a specific program that generates publicity in the short term. As the teaching profession relies on collegiate support, sharing of knowledge, resources ideas and opinions, I believe the award system does not work, but may create resentment in the teachers that are working hard at the coalface of teaching, especially in remote, rural and special education, but will not get the recognition they too deserve.
Also, education needs to be valued by the general community. At present, many teachers feel our profession is only held as high as 'cheap day care'. This is especially true when parents are reported in the media discussing that they feel their child may not 'cope' when due to start preschool, however, school is 'cheaper than day-care'.

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 disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

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

Strongly disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Teaching is so multifaceted. What is meant by 'classroom ready'? Each classroom is so different depending on socio-economic area, families, funding, students... the list goes on and on... What teacher graduate will be classroom ready for a class that has students with trauma, varying levels of learning capabilities, students with special needs, violent behaviour? What graduate teacher will be classroom ready for the abuse and/or unreasonableness of parents? What graduate teacher will be classroom ready for the levels of planning, assessing, reporting, teaching when some graduate teachers (I have mentored some) have come in from university without knowledge of the basic curriculum? The teaching degree needs to be more rigorous in its content and more time is required for student teachers to spend in schools to gain a better understanding of the expectations in the classroom.

Maximising the time to teach

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

Somewhat disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

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?

Not effective at all

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.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?