Where Are the Next Generation of Teachers Coming From?

“A great teacher has little external history to record. Their life goes over into other lives. These men and women are pillars in the intimate structure of our schools. They are more essential than its stones or beams, and they will continue to be a kindling force and a revealing power in our lives.”

This was the emotional climax in the 2002 film The Emperor’s Club. A film about a passionate History teacher and his students. To honour their teacher the former students presented these words inscribed on a plaque.

Goodbye Mr Chips, To Sir With Love, Dead Poets Society, Stand and Deliver, Lean on Me and The Browning Version are all films that also explore the challenging but incredibly rewarding experience of teaching - (possibly they have created an idealised version of teachers that ordinary teachers can never live up to). Regardless, as a society we are currently struggling to inspire young people to choose teaching as a profession and vocation. Why?

A discussion paper from 2019, commissioned by the federal government, says there are fewer high-achieving candidates who want to be teachers. The research found that only 4% of new graduate students with an ATAR over 80 chose to study teaching, a decline of 32% between 2006 and 2019. Over the same period, the proportion studying IT rose 62% and science 44%. By contrast, competition for degree places in countries such as Singapore and Finland meant that “only about one in 10 students who apply to become teachers are accepted”. In Australia between 2009 and 2019, the number of enrolments in all tertiary courses rose 37% but those choosing teaching rose by only 4%, and the number of students who graduated from teaching or education fell 5%.

When I talk to many young people about their choices they often dismiss the idea of teaching immediately. When you press them as to why, the answer is a consistent one: teachers are often treated poorly by students and parents. This ranges from verbal abuse, abusive emails and phone calls, social media posts and, in the most extreme cases, violence (“A Queensland teacher was stabbed, kicked, spat on or had furniture hurled at them once a day on average in the last school year, new data reveals. During 2019, Workcover accepted 291 assault and occupational violence claims from teachers. That's 1.5 claims for every one of 194 school days” or from the ACT “teachers reported more than 200 incidents of physical and verbal violence in the first month of the 2019 school year, government figures reveal”.)

Young people learn very quickly that teaching is a profession that is spoken about in a derogatory manner by many sections of the community - politicians and shock jocks leading the way of pouring out a consistent diatribe of vitriol against the profession. Young people have had 13 years growing up listening to and watching how their teachers have been treated - it is clear they don’t like what they see, who can blame them.

There has also been a shift in our collective culture. The notion of being connected to a community or group was significant in our lives and giving back to others was seen as natural and essential to being a part of a community. Organisations such as Show Societies, sporting clubs, church groups, volunteer organisations such as surf life saving are struggling to continue in towns because a younger generation is not coming through to replace the stalwarts who have been there since their youth. Wollongong University research shows that:

“Australia has one of the highest rates of volunteer participation in the world, but in the last 10 years, the number of volunteers lending their time to organisations has been in decline,” said Dr Forner, who is based in the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) Faculty of Business and Law.

“Now, organisations and non-profits are competing for scarce volunteer resources. We are seeing a trend towards more episodic, one-off volunteering experiences, rather than people deciding to make a long-term, ongoing commitment to a cause or group they are passionate about.”

A decline in altruism (concern for the wellbeing of others) could possibly explain why some are not interested in teaching. Teaching in general, but particularly the teaching of teenagers, requires a person to be highly motivated towards helping others become their best self. This can be incredibly challenging, demanding and emotionally exhausting work. Trying to do this for 150 to 200 teenagers a week in your care is not easy and so young people are not considering it as a viable option.

In an essay titled ‘The Power of Altruism’, David Brooks argues that altruism was once much more a part of a person’s makeup because:

“But back then, there were plenty of institutions that promoted the moral lens to balance the economic lens: churches, guilds, community organisations, military service and honour codes.

Since then, the institutions that arouse the moral lens have withered while the institutions that manipulate incentives — the market and the state — have expanded. Now economic, utilitarian thinking has become the normal way we do social analysis and see the world. We’ve wound up with a society that is less cooperative, less trusting, less effective and less lovely.”

The parents and carers of today have a powerful responsibility in their hands. If they are to ensure that their grandchildren have effective teachers and that young people see teaching as an honourable and worthwhile profession, then they must speak positively and with respect about the teachers their students have. They must value the work that is done. They must offer support and be fully interested and invested in their young person’s learning. Whilst they are always the first advocate for their child, they need to understand that their child is not the only one in a school and that everyone matters and that any complex problem can be resolved when calm and rational adults work together.

To quote the teacher from The Emperor's Club, “Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance. What will your contribution be? How will history remember you?”

How will history remember the contribution of this generation of parents and young people? Will they help turn the corner of the crisis in teaching, or summon its death knell and usher in a generation parked in front of screens learning remotely?

Below are the students who have consistently rated highly in the ‘Work Habits’ domains either in Term 2 or throughout Semester 1 (this won’t include Years 12 as they have a different style end of semester report). All of these students will be feted with a lunch and certificate to congratulate them on their achievements.

Consistently High Ratings over Semester 1 (Term 1 and 2 combined)

Year 7

Haydon Allan-Saunders, Molly Arnold, Sanza Arzal, Charlie Benjamin, Charlie Carroll-Williams, Sophie Davis, Sarah Downey, An Duong, Ruby Eason, Brock Easterman, Taylah Evans, Matilda Ferris, Hamish Filby, Lilli Fitzgibbon, Jirra Gillon, Charlotte Grieve, Chelsea Hayman, Ella Hertslet, Kyiah Holland, Erica Holzigal, Ella Kelly, Riza Khian, Molly Klasen, Hannah Lovell, Brooke Madden, Lynn Mafura, Thomas Mahony, Eva Maloney, Macy Marshall, Connor Matthews, Malachy McKenzie, Madeline Monet, Sophie Morgan, Maddison Moss, Alamia Myers, Lam Nguyen, Ruby O’Rouke, Kurt Paz, Arpitha Prathibha Abhilash, Luca Reddel, Hayley Rheinberger, Jack Riley, Sienna Sears, Lilly Semms, Izayah Simmons, Alyssa Sleiman, Lily Stewart, Samuel Studte, Claire Taylor, Samuel Thompson, Miriam U’ren, Emma Vu, Edith Walters, Lachlan Williamson, Kale Windmill and Isla Woods.

Year 8

Lilliah Baker, Zoe Bell, James Bonarius, Halley Buckman, Colbie Butler, Sonia Chin, Jacqueline Clemson, Lauren Cook, Samuel Drew, Caitlin Dunstan, Hannah Fahey, Sienna Fielder, Elizabeth Flood, Sienna French, Mia Gentle, Anna George, Ellaura Goodman-Mackay, Janae Griffiths, Abbigale Gwatkin, Arian Hope, Zali Kapeller, Jayla Kelly, Adrian Lu, Lainey Mackay, Matt Manzano, Elouise McCann, Ataya McLaren, Paige McMillan, Sophie McMullen, Jackson Medlock, Sophie Myers, Anita Nguyen, Harry Ringland, Sterling Rodda, Savannah Slater, Alice Smith, Georgia Staniland, Emma Taggart, Erin Tickle, Grace Tickle, Penelope Torrens, Lammy Tran, Celia van Ingen, Lleyton Villamor, Tom Vuong, Summer Wenborn and Janina Willoughby.

Year 9

Xyieneza Anito, Lauren Barnes, Maddison, Bell, Jack Benjamin, Hannah Briley, Katie Bui, Kaitlin Burgess, Amber Burrows, Ella Clarke, Shania Coppola-Smith, Laura Davis, Sasha Domingo, Thomas Drew, Thomas Errington, Mackenzie Freeman, Tahl Handsley, Isobel Hargraves, Maggie Highlands, Cooper Holzigal, Haydon Hunt, Penelope Hutchinson, Xzania Hutton, Tessa Hyslop, Gabrielle Innis, Harrison Lee, Natasha Lees, Ryan Lu, Charlotte Lyon, Sophie Mackney, Lexi Maguire, Caitlan Myers, Emma Nguyen, Grace Palmer, Lacey Palmer, Chelsea Parry, Luke Paton, Hannah Pawsey, Samuel Peeters, Chloe Rex, Kaitlin Rheinberger, Maria Shvili, Tilani Smith, Annabelle Stuart, Brooke Thompson, Millie Tighe, Hailey Tran, Mikeeli Tyrrell, Johnny Vuong, Zachary Whalan, Juliah White and Baylee Whitworth.

Year 10

Allyza Shania Baga, Isabella Bolsom, Sienna Bugeja, Sophia Chin, Jake Clissold, Zoe Cosgrove, Hannah Curtis, Matilda Davey, William Dickinson, Layla Dobson, Jorja Easterman, Bella Fox, Rai-Lea Hayward, Gabrielle Higgins, Vy Ho, Jackson Lane, Charlotte Leonard, Mackenzie Lett, Kaitlyn Lovell, Darcy Lyon, Indiana McGregor, Thomas Melville, Kyra Mihell, Chelsea Miller, Gabrielle Miller, Kiera Noble, Hannah O’Toole, Blair Orman, Gabriel Quiambao, Lochlan Reibel, Dante Reverr, Kerwin Richards, Archie Ringland, Mackenzie Scott, Mitchell Scott, Arabella Smith, Charmaine Smith, Chloe Trappel, Olivia U’Ren, Lauren Vella, Ellisa Vu and Georgia Williams.

Year 11

Abigail Burr, Abigail Taggart, Aleisha Young, Amelia Easton, Amelia Newlan, Annabel Kelly, Annalise Tighe, Ashley Missen, Bella Tulley, Blake Hutchinson, Blake Smith, Caitlin Jackson, Caleb Viertel, Charlie Cox, Chloe Ginman, Claudia Carton, Erin Hansen, Georgia Sheppard, Grace Salkeld, Grahame Davey, Hallie Berton, Hallie Munro, Hope Madden, Jack Knight, Jasmine Verrall, Katelin Abra, King Transona, Lachlan Croker, Lindsay Maxworthy, Lucy McMullen, Macklin Innis, Mia Darcy, Molly Smith, Olivia Croker, Oscar Krough, Parker Rigby, Riley Leys, Scarlett Coppola, Sian Austin, Tiffany Allomes, Sophia Vu and William Thompson.

Mick Larkin - Assistant Principal - Pastoral

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Term 3, Week 6 - Friday 26 August 2022 · 26 Aug 2022

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