I think there are a lot of teachers out there that would like to shake the hand of Gabbie Stroud. She is the author of the new book “Teacher- One woman’s struggle to keep the heart in teaching” that has quickly shot to become one of the Top 10 books in Australia. I think the reason for its prolific popularity is due to the fact that the truths Gabbie shares in this book are the truths so many teachers are feeling today.
I know it resonated profoundly with my own experiences as a teacher. Although my time as a classroom teacher was brief in comparison, the short time that I endured the hardships that the role demands, was enough to turn me off classroom teaching for good.
I still teach, but I do so as a casual relief teacher. That way it is on my terms, with less responsibility and NO paperwork. This wasn’t a decision I took lightly, as I love teaching and I know that if you are fortunate enough to be granted your own class you are regarded as one of the “lucky ones”. But, when I found out I was pregnant with my first child I just knew I couldn’t give my all to teaching AND my child and didn’t want the undue stress to impact me during my pregnancy, so I quit and have never looked back since.
Although I moved to a new school, in a nicer area with a much nicer class, my previous experiences with eight “Warrens” in my class was enough to leave lasting damage on my psyche. Every day consisted of breaking up fights, kids jumping out windows, boys turning the classroom upside down, throwing chairs or anything else they could find and constantly disrupting others’ learning. Each day I felt I was going into battle. I broke down one day, after too many days/weeks/months of trying to hold it together, and just walked out of the class and burst into tears. My physical and mental health suffered greatly that year. My back was in constant knots of pain even with regular treatment and I now realise that wishing to crash your car on your way to work, just so you had an excuse not to go, is not a healthy mindset to be in.
I was a brand-new teacher, thrown in the deep end with a well-renowned troublesome class, with very limited support. My mentor teacher was amazing but also had a lot on her plate. The Principal just wanted to pacify the situation and just “keep them in the classroom” hoping they might learn something. This was at the expense of all the other students’ education, who I feel missed out entirely that year.
All the issues Gabbie relays in her book about the pressures of paperwork, schools turning into “businesses”, dealing with abhorrent behavioural issues was only a glimpse into the issues of a very damaged system. All too often staff morale is low due to the uncertainty of ongoing employment with temporary contracts looming over hard-working teachers’ heads, year after year. Not to mention the thousands of new graduates every year that enters a workforce that has no room for them to be employed.
Stroud sheds light on the devastating side of neglectful parenting and the damaging effects it has on the child’s behaviour and whole being. But she also doesn’t address the growing issue of bullying that teachers receive from “helicopter” parents who come to save the day any moment their child faces an issue. Teachers are bombarded with emails, phone calls and messages and expected to deal with it all in their own time. Parents storm in, outraged at their students' marks or irate that their child didn’t play with anyone yesterday. Teachers know they are only looking out for their child, but is it always in their best interest? Once upon a time, if a student got in trouble at school, they were petrified their parents would find out as they didn’t want to get in trouble at home, too. Nowadays, parents think their child can do no wrong and that their version of events is gospel. I am a parent, I get it, but we are doing an injustice to our children by constantly fighting their battles and undermining their teacher’s authority. This strips away the teacher’s power (what little they do have these days) making an already hard job, more difficult. What children need to learn is resilience, respect and responsibility for their actions.
But teachers aren’t just getting bullied by parents. There is also the issue of bullying from higher up. Principals on a power trip, trying to get through the ranks, rather than being there to help their staff and students. I’ve encountered some of those and had my career hanging at the mercy of a spiteful Principal with which my biggest crime was not being willing to change a 3-day contract to 5 half days! Schools, with leadership like these, suffer immensely as they strive to turn a school into a business focussing on data and promotions and forgetting the most important part- the happiness of the children and staff.
I do worry though, that after reading a book like this we will see a mass exodus of teacher’s quitting or that it may motivate those studying teaching to rethink their career choice. I know I already get quizzed all the time about how much work I get and how much I earn as a relief teacher, from tired and fed-up teachers.
I do, however, think that we need to find solutions to help those teachers that are still passionate enough to stick it out. People like Amy Green from The Teacher’s Coach is striving in her business to inspire teachers and help them find a better work/life balance by providing practical and motivational advice to teachers.
I, myself, try to help make life easier for teachers through my business- Teacher for a Day. My focus is in supporting casual relief teachers by providing strategies and resources to give them more confidence stepping into the many unknowns of the role. With the lack of permanent and temporary contracts, casual relief teaching is most new graduates first step into the world of teaching. As a relief teacher, you are often left to your own devices, feeling on the outer, like it is your first day of work, every day. If you are lucky, you might get a key to the classroom and a have a plan left. Otherwise, you just have to wing it, which isn’t easy when you are new to the game. My resources have been described as a “lifesaver” and the “holy bible of resources” and I love knowing I am helping take a little pressure off an already hard and demanding job.
I understand that teachers may be coming off like a bit of a whingy bunch, as I hear people in other professions compare their work woes to ours. Throughout the book, Gabbie expresses that you wouldn’t understand unless you are a teacher. I agree, but then, I am also a teacher! All we really ask for is support from parents, leadership and the government to let us do what we know and love to do- TEACH!
I asked a colleague which was harder out of her previous career as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist or her new career as a teacher. She said hands down that teaching was more difficult. Her roles were not dissimilar as they are both in a helping profession and working with children. She expressed fondly that teaching felt much more rewarding as you could see progress and build closer relationships with the students. However, after 2 years, she has decided to step away from classroom teaching as the demands were more than what she signed up for. As an OT, she got time to write a report on a child after a therapy session, during work hours and only had a few things to think about and consider at once when working with a child, unlike teaching where you have 25+ students’ needs to consider including a handful that may have special needs and/or behavioural issues. As teachers, we are then expected to teach an over-crowded curriculum to meet the standardised test requirements all whilst catering to the individual student’s learning style and ability, along with constantly collecting data and evidence to prove our worth and that what we are teaching is getting “results”. And some people have the nerve to say our job is easy!
I know that my transition into author and business owner has been far less stressful and probably more rewarding than my time as a classroom teacher. I still work late at night at times, but there is no pressure to do so in order to feel prepared for the next day. I no longer have those guilty feelings that teachers get when you haven't done enough or panicking on a Sunday afternoon that you aren't ready for the week ahead. My husband would ask me what time I would be finished working. The answer was always "Never!". I still work hard, but I have the freedom to do it on my terms which is a refreshing feeling to have compared to the structured timeline I needed to adhere to when teaching, in order to cover everything "necessary" in the curriculum.
Teaching is a tough gig. It’s unfortunate that the ones that really WANT to do it, can no longer find enough love and passion for the job to keep them there. Teacher retention is a real and frightening issue in our country and without a drastic overhaul of the system, we stand to lose more amazing teachers like Gabbie Stroud.
Written by Kelly Quilter
This world needs great teachers, but I can understand why they would choose to quit. I did, and not for one day have I regretted it.
