Teacher Identity“What sort of teacher will I be?”

and “What does the future hold for me?”

1. Reflect on our teaching identity?

2. What are the expectations?

3. What are some barriers or obstacles?

4. How do we overcome perceived obstacles and build

resilience?

Which teachers have you identified with?- in your deep, dark past / on prac?What are your teaching aspirations?

What barriers could you face?

Graham & Phelps, 2003

But wait….there’s more?• Regular planning, assessments, marking and reporting• Continually evolving pedagogy and policy development • Rapid development in ICTs• Preparing IEPs for a diverse range of learners• Emotional demands – behaviour management / counselling

social work• Playground duty• Extra curricular activities ie sports manager or coach, debating,

stamp collecting?• Regular team, curriculum, subject , year level meetings• Professional development • Parent/Teacher interviews• Attending school events – fundraisers, drama performances etc• And the list goes on…………………………….……

So…are you feelinga little like this?

Plan to not become a statistic!!!Current figures are not available :

However….

In 2003, the Department of Education, Science and Technology reported there was up to a 25% attrition rate amongst early career teachers (Owen, Kos & McKenzie, 2008 ).

In 2005, the OECD reported between a 25% to 40% teacher attrition rate during the first three to five years occurs in many countries in the Western World.

Ewing & Manuel (2005)

Why?

Richardson (2007)

Retain your identity and…… your passion for teaching

The research team involved in the Keeping Cool project are academic staff members lecturing in Education at Murdoch University (Western Australia), Curtin University of Technology (Western Australia) and RWTH Aachen University (Germany).

The project emerged as the members of the research team shared a concern about the significant attrition rate of early career teachers and were interested in how teachers could develop resilience to deal with the challenges of the profession.

How do we maintain a positive, professional identity?

Key ideas mentioned on the “Keeping Cool “website guide our understanding of what resilience can mean for a teacher as well as the issues which can impact on our resilience.

Resilience can be defined as the "process of, capacity for, or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances" (Masten, Best & Garmezy, 1990, p. 425).

How we successful adapt in challenging or threatening circumstances can be

determined by a number of other factors:

1) Firstly, resilience is not a quality that is innate or fixed. It can be learned and acquired

2) Personal characteristics, competence and the influences of socialisation and the environment in which the individual works and lives, all interactively contribute to the process of resilience building

3) Finally, the recognition that resilience manifests itself in different ways.

Example: What is perceived as challenging for one person, may not be for another, and likewise, how individuals display resilience may differ.

Healthy self-efficacy is essential to maintain strong resiliency

Perceptions of success – nature and quality of feedback from colleagues / administration

Emotional wellbeing

Evans, D. (2010)

Well Teachers, well studentsTeacher stress and burn out affects the whole school community

(including students)

We must be self-aware of our own wellbeing Connect and communicate with colleagues (eg working in

teams) . It is essential that we establish supportive and productive communities – have the confidence to ask for help.

Realistic awareness that we are going to have less time available to us, particularly in the initial stages of our careers

Contribute to decision making, policy development and school activities to provide us with a sense of belonging

Foster healthy classroom relationships with students and parents

Set goals, reflect regularly and take time-out for personal relaxation McCallum & Price (2010)

What practical helpcan we expect

when we join our new school?

Mentoring

Graduate Teachers- know what your school can do for you.

Queensland College of Teachers

“This is a complex, demanding job and there are still bad days and

good days – days when you know you could have done better and days

when you have a breakthrough moment with one of your students.

I still find it hard to describe the feeling you get when you teach a child something - it is so rewarding.”

Alf D’Arsie - (38 years experience ) currently at Keithcott Farm Primary School, SA

BibliographyMasten, A., Best, K., & Garmezy, N. (1990). Resilience and development: Contributions from the study of children who overcome adversity. Development and Psychopathology, 2, 425-444.

Ewing, R. & Manuel, J. (2005), Retaining quality early career teachers in the profession: new teacher narratives. Change: Transformations in Education, 8(1), 1-16. Retrieved on August 13, 2011, from http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/4529/1/Vol8No1Article1.pdf

Owen, S., Kos, J. & McKenzie, P. (2008). Teacher workface data and planning processes in Australia. Canberra: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Retrieved on August 13, 2011 from http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/Documents/SiASTeacherWorkforceDataandPlanningProcessesReport.pdf

Teaching for Keeps (2010). uniSA Magazine, Spring, p. 9. Retrieved on August 11, 2011, from http://www.unisa.edu.au/news/unisamagazine/issues/2010SPRING.pdf

Aspiring, Beginning and Establishing Teachers' Community (2011), The Learning Place. Retrieved on August 02, 2011, from http://www.learningplace.com.au/default_suborg.asp?orgid=18&suborgid=18

About us. (2011). Keeping Cool : Building Teachers Resilience. Retrieved on August 03, 2011, from http://www.keepingcool.edu.au/node/12

McCallum, F. & Price, D. (2010). Well teachers, well students. Journal of Student Wellbeing, 4(1), 19-34. Retrieved on August 04, 2011, from the Informit database

Richardson, E. (2007). ‘Trust me kids, I’m a teacher”: Building a teacher identity. Australian Association for Research in Education. Retrieved on August 04, 2011, from the Informit database.