Teacher welfare

Most Australian teachers believe the advantages of being a teacher outweigh any disadvantages, but fewer than half feel that they are valued by society for the job they do, according to new data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018.

‘These are unprecedented times and teachers have done an incredible job adapting to the many challenges the pandemic has presented.’ In her latest Teacher article, Julia Gillard discusses how Australian schools have been putting a greater focus on mental health and wellbeing, and shares advice and resources to support staff, students and families.

Researchers from Macquarie University and QUT conducted a series of interviews with students to hear their memories of former teachers to determine the quality and consistency of these relationships over time. In today’s article, Associate Professor Penny Van Bergen shares some of the key findings to come from the research.

The latest Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey reveals 19 sources of stress for school leaders. In this infographic, we look at the top 10 sources of stress reported by school leaders, and their top 5 sources of support.

‘In school communities we are indeed “all in this together” however, that does not mean one context fits all.’ In today’s article, Dr Helen Street discusses the importance of acknowledging students’ different experiences, the need for positive relationships, and providing opportunities for autonomy and agency.

Staff at Ringwood Secondary College in Victoria have learned a lot since students began learning from home. Here, we speak to principal Michael Phillips about the aspects of remote learning that have resulted in positive outcomes for staff collaboration and student engagement.

Teachers are more likely to experience vocal fatigue than many other professions. As teachers find themselves delivering lessons online in a new and unfamiliar way, some may find they are experiencing more vocal fatigue than ever before. Voice coach Amy Hume offers her insights into how educators can care for their voices during this time.

With the COVID-19 pandemic comes a dramatic change to education and a lot of questions about the continuation of learning. At Teacher magazine, we’ve published a lot of content looking at navigating this challenge. In this podcast, we take you through some of the highlights.

Fostering a sense of school pride and meeting the individual needs of every student are just two priorities for Melanie Macmillan, Principal of Warwick Farm Public School. In today’s article she shares how she focuses on community partnerships, visible leadership and student engagement to achieve those goals.

While COVID-19 is grinding much of society to a halt, schooling has entered uncharted territory. During this time, it is important that teachers look after themselves. Our latest reader submission shares several evidence-backed strategies that can help support teachers’ wellbeing.