school management
We need to consider what it will take to ensure the highest quality teachers remain in and are attracted to the profession .
A problem shared
Preventing teacher burnout through shared responsibility .
By Rochelle Borton
Building interpersonal resilience has become a prevalent topic for school leaders in recent months , especially for those desperately trying to support a workforce that is suffering ‘ burnout ’ at a much higher rate than we have seen previously .
Of even greater concern , the same school leaders who are trying to support their teams to be proactive with their personal wellbeing and resilience building , are themselves in dire need of support . With the teacher supply already a concern for all jurisdictions in Australia , isn ’ t it time there was a consistent approach to preventing teacher burnout across our country ? An approach that avoids a mass exodus for this fragile profession , supports teachers to focus on their primary responsibility of educating young people , and prepares them for future engagement in our society ?
The entire teaching cohort from a central west high school recently walked off the job . The group of teachers were overwhelmed with the ongoing expectation that they would cover classes due to the lack of teachers and implored the NSW Government to reconsider staffing entitlements so they could adequately support student learning . It was stated that not only is the ongoing staffing crisis having a significant impact on students and their learning , but teachers and school leaders continue to be plagued by wellbeing , peer mental health and a drop in morale across many schools .
By 2031 , it is estimated that an additional 11,000 teachers will be needed in NSW alone , with all other jurisdictions , when referenced against similar population statistics , reporting the need for similar increases , too . Given these alarming numbers , and the current state of the teaching profession , now is the time to address the significant issue of teacher burnout .
If the issue of attracting teachers to the profession is not a partnered approach by the many stakeholders who make up the education framework across Australia , we may not meet the shared target of improving student outcomes .
More than ever before , the workload associated with school leadership and teaching is increasing with not just the volume becoming unsustainable , but the complexity and responsibility associated with the workload also rising . Much of this workload is due to the external demands and government decisions made in response to social and economic pressures .
The additional work , despite sometimes being a response to changes in government policy , has also included changes to support the growing needs of students , curriculum and syllabus change , data collection and reporting responsibilities . Couple this with the increase in high expectations from the
community about what educators , school leaders and schools are responsible for delivering and you have the perfect conditions for teacher wellbeing issues .
If we include all stakeholders in the solution for solving this crisis , then coming up with a sustainable solution is almost guaranteed . We need to consider what it will take to ensure the highest quality teachers remain in and are attracted to the profession .
Governments , parents and communities must consider partnering with educators to formulate a road map to success that addresses key issues :
• Elevate the teaching profession with comparable pay rates of professions with similar responsibilities and workloads .
• Inform and educate communities of the workloads of teachers and schools outside of core school hours .
• Provide educators with ample preparation time to better serve the needs of young people and address individual learning requirements .
• Provide relevant specialist support for schools to address needs and work with families and communities to sustainably address .
• Provide professional pathways that attract new teachers to the profession , provide current staff with professional development and raise the status of teaching to community members .
• Work with community , parents and relevant jurisdictions to address the wellbeing and mental health needs of students and staff . Shared responsibility in student learning may be complex , but it all starts with an initial conversation . Perhaps if parents and school communities began to ask questions about what could make things better for the children in their lives , we could address teacher burnout with collective genius . At the end of the day , all stakeholders want the same thing – the very best for our kids . ■
Rochelle Borton is founder and managing director of Eduinfluencers .
26 | educationreview . com . au