Anonymous #218

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #218

Where are you located?

Victoria

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?

A better focus would be on what parents/carers can do to best assist teachers. A concerted campaign giving parents/carers information on how they can support teachers and their children would both improve the status of the profession and alleviate behavioural issues in classrooms.

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?

Teacher supply is not the issue. Teachers are entering the profession with the most experience and understanding of what they need to do to do their jobs well. Support must occur once they have completed their degree and begun teaching.

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?

ITE is already robust, graduate teachers feeling uncomfortable in the classroom or that are unaccustomed to what they are expected to do is as a result of poor planning time for all teachers, especially graduate teachers.

High achievers being lured into a profession a here they are unable to return their intrinsic standards given the available resources set them up to burn out due to the unsustainable nature of the profession as it stands.

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?

Teachers need a significant reduction (.2 or .15) in their face to face hours to ensure they are able to provide students with the ever increasing level of differentiated learning.

The creation of shared units of work to free up time is admirable however will still require significant efforts to adapt each to the unique learning environment of the school with each having particular needs not easily identified at such a wide level. Extra time by freeing up teachers from face to face teaching (100 kids or 4 classes at secondary maximum) would allow teachers the time to collaborate and adapt to changing demands.

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?

The focus should be on an Australian approach to ensuring sufficient teacher-student ratios that are 20% higher across the board. This would give each student a trusted adult that cares for them across their schooling, rather than short lived teachers who leave the profession after a few years because it is unsustainable.

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?