Anonymous #140

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #140

Where are you located?

Western Australia

What type of area do you live in?

Regional or rural

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.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Teachers are professional educators who are deeply committed to providing the very best outcomes for the students they teach. This requires a deep knowledge of the community each individual school serves. Teaching is about building relationships - with community, with students, with families. Teachers have always been undervalued in terms of the contribution they make to community. Think of the impact of COVID on everyone's mental health - teachers played a vital role in providing some sort of consistency for their students, many of whom struggled to cope emotionally with a lack of routine, lack of socialisation at school, lack of classroom teaching & learning. Poor mental health of students had been increasing long before COVID, with teachers consistently trying to address their students' emotional needs. Teachers are professionals but are not viewed as such.

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.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

I believe it will be extremely difficult to increase the number of students completing ITE and the number of teachers staying in and/or returning to the profession. Unsustainable excessive workload, student violence and the massive underfunding of public education are the three issues which deter both returning teachers & students completing ITE.

Unsustainable excessive workload:
Too many changes from one program to another ie Literacy & Maths - professional teachers wish to gain automaticity of any new skill/knowledge base before learning the next new program. Students need consistency in their learning. A relentless, unsustainable pace of change has affected the mental health & wellbeing of teachers: cognitive overload leads to stress and poor mental health. In my case, this lead to burnout.

Student violence:
Everyone has the right to a safe workplace. Students have the right to a safe learning environment. My school was not a safe workplace with regular Critical Incidents involving students smashing windows, assaulting other students, assaulting teachers and EAs. One EA was assaulted by a parent & grandmother. It is hugely stressful to work in an environment in which one is constantly hypervigilant. Teachers are leaving the profession because violence is not being addressed appropriately.

Underfunding of public education:
Approximately 80% of kids attend public schools so why is public education so shockingly underfunded? Will this change in order to improve teacher supply? Teachers are professionals who are committed to the students they teach, yet we cannot give our kids what they need to succeed at school because the budget does not cover staffing and resources. Public education is not valued, teachers in public schools are not valued.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

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

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Maximising the time to teach

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

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Professional teachers need to collaborate on a daily basis regarding the students they teach (know their story/background/what is happening in their home lives) and on a weekly basis, at least, regarding curriculum, pedagogy and evidence-based best practice. Currently, teachers are expected to spend excessive timeframes on administration when our priority is, and should always be, our students - planning engaging lessons & sequences of lessons, connection & challenge for our students, reflecting on and assessing what they learned - absolute top priority.

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?

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?

Western Australia implemented the Senior Teacher status to encourage accomplished, experienced teachers to stay in the classroom rather than apply for Deputy/HOLA positions. This worked to a degree, but many principals expected Senior Teachers to take on excess duties over and above their role, without renumeration or DOTT provision.