Anonymous #141

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #141

Where are you located?

South 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.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

I wrote out something here, but the session 'outdated' me. So I'll condense:
1. Don't make point 1 tokenistic by undermining these 'accolades' with the accompaniment of teacher/educator blaming for society's ills, which is so often done by members of the government.
2. Two is a good idea, but eliminate the work for those teachers to prove why they should get it after they've been nominated.
3. 3 and 4 are good ideas. Important for HAT teachers to have influence and sway and not be glorified mentors with additional workloads though.

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?

Point 5: All well and good, but maybe some kind of paid internship/apprenticeship early so that these beginning teachers can test out if the profession is for them before committing enormous HELP fees.

Point 6: Don't like it. Make the profession more valued rather than throwing money at people. Make it more respected.

Point 7: Only if they have comprehensive learning in actual pedagogy and not just content specific. Many teachers do not know how to actually teach.

Points 8 and 9 are not addressing the main issue - the workload needing to go down to retain teachers. Churning new ones in and out isn't going to help the main issues.

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?

These actions contain good ideas which I think should help beginning teachers prepare. I still maintain that there should be an internship style approach, where university students spend 1 day a week (first year) in schools, progressively building up through their years whilst still undertaking study. This will allow them to have first-hand experience and practice their theoretical knowledge. The changing of schools each year will be vital for this too.

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?

Point 14: Teachers in more advantaged schools are also facing higher workloads, but in different ways. Please don't discount them just because they have more 'compliant and advantaged' students.

Point 15: This doesn't go far enough. Simply following QLD's lead of 'encouraging teachers to turn off' electronics is ridiculous and should be standard. WA's approach seems to be better at addressing workload. TOIL would be good; particularly when teachers seem to be the main point of call for extracurricular duties. None of these administration reductions really hit the real issues though - the reporting of non-submissions, the wellbeing discussions, the parental emails, the reporting and follow-up of non-attendance/tardiness/uniforms/assessments, differentiation in planning to suit student needs and likes etc. Some of these can be done by SSOs if funded, but a lot of the time they are directed at teachers as their 'duty of care' - requiring teachers to spend less time planning and more time on this. Reducing teaching hours would allow us to keep this duty of care but not if more admin is put on top of these requirements.

Point 17: Whatever you put in, you need to take out something equivalent. Don't just add and ask for how it will add to workload - it will, so something has to go.

Point 18: Teacher education students are not a workload reduction. Unless they have some kind of duty of care/paid responsibilities, we spend our time reviewing their lessons, helping them plan, helping them teach, and writing out assessments for them. They are an addition to workload.

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.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

I've stated this before but I will reiterate it - whatever you introduce, don't add it onto the already burgeoning workload. Take something away. If a mid-career teacher is doing coaching, take away a line/day of work for them to do it. Other workplaces have professional development and career development within their work day. Make it the same for teachers, entirely. So if their own additional work fopr this coaching is required outside of coaching time, give them time to do it.

Fully agree with more training to help First Nations kids. As with above, don't make it additional. Time to reflect on the training and implement it is of vital importance.