Did you know that according to a recent study by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, at least 35 per cent of the teacher workforce intend to leave the profession before retirement? Additionally, up to 50 per cent of teachers leave within their first five years of teaching (data from SSTUWA).

So why the dire statistics?  

The mainstream media has reported widely on the teaching profession being in crisis over the past few years. While being a teacher is an incredibly rewarding and honourable profession, it can also lead to burnout and stress. Teachers wear many hats each day: Decorator, negotiator, detective, confidante, assessor, nurse, crowd controller, educator, mediator, and of course… teacher!

As a result, teachers can often feel like they are never enough for everybody. Just like our students, our teachers are only human, and a little encouragement or words of thanks can go a long way!

The parent/teacher relationship is one of the most important that you can cultivate in supporting your child’s school journey. Fortunately, teachers at GHSS often comment on how much they value our warm, welcoming and supportive parent community. Our historically low staff turnover is perhaps further evidence of this.

Nonetheless, in honour of World Teachers’ Day this Friday (31/11), here are a few ideas and tips on how we can continue to look after our teachers at GHSS:

• A word of thanks or positive feedback goes a long way- however small!

Has your child just come home from camp? Told you about a great story their teacher shared? Or maybe a game they loved? Perhaps they are feeling more confident in maths this term?

Teachers put a lot of thought and effort into their lessons and into how they hold space for the children each day. A little acknowledgement goes a long way, and a few kind words of thanks can make all the difference in a teacher’s busy day.

• Allow your child’s teacher time to disconnect

It can be stressful for teachers to receive an emotional email from a parent late at night, or a phone call during the holidays.

• Avoid weighty issues right before bell time

Teachers are often busy preparing their lessons and classroom in the morning before the bell goes. Cultivating the right mindset to welcome the children and ensure that the day starts smoothly takes a surprising amount of emotional space. Therefore, it can be difficult for teachers when parents bring weighty topics or issues of contention to teachers during this time. It may be best to arrange an alternative time to meet instead.

Thanks to all our wonderful parents for supporting our special teaching staff, so that they can continue showing up in the best way possible for our children.