Main Feature: Counsellor Louiza Hebhardt discusses teacher burnout, and strategies for teachers to maintain well-being and deal with the pressures of teaching.
Regular Features: AITSL’s teacher feature, teachers discuss what it means to be ‘Asia literate’; Off Campus, Dan Haesler talks about the need to focus on teacher well being as part of education; Teachers’ Brains Trust, Pip Cleaves models a leadership narrative while discussing creativity in education; Education in the News, Cameron and Corinne talk about workplace bullying and other recent news headlines; Mystery Educator competition, third and final clue!
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Show notes and time code:
00:00 – Introduction
03:10 – AITSL’s Teacher Feature
07:40 – Education in the News
- SMH reports NSW Private schools spend 40% more per student
- Melbourne Age reports VIC Private schools spend 60% more per student
- Illawarra Mercury reports that senate inquiry into TAFE cancelled due to lack of representation by political parties.
- 7 News reports TAS minister’s announcement to extended high schools to years 11 & 12
- The Age reports $9mil in compensation has been paid to VIC teachers for stress and injury claims
- SMH reports Deakin University study shows 4 of 5 children fro mnon-Enlgish speaking contries experience racism in schools at least once per month.
- Canberra Times report on new Code of Conduct for ACT teachers in all sectors
20:27 – Off Campus with Dan Haesler, Teacher Wellbeing
- For more, visit danhaesler.com
27:28 – Teachers’ Brains Trust: Pip Cleaves models a leadership narrative to discuss Creativity in Education
33:40 – Mid-show Credits
34:50 – Main Feature: Louiza Hebhardt is a former primary school teacher-turned-counsellor, and in this feature she speaks with Corinne about issues surrounding Teacher burnout.
01:04:10 – Discussion
01:18:50 – Mystery Educator Competition
01:20:15 – Announcements
01:21:30 – Quote & Sign off
Teachers' Education Review 
I think Dan Haesler really hits the nail on the head. By it’s very nature a system (i.e. Education) supports itself – not those who sustain it (teachers) and often not even those it is intended to serve (students). We shouldn’t be surprised by this – it seems an almost ‘natural’ end-point of the business models and economic rationalist influences brought to bear on Education over a number of years. But, as Dan argues, we should not just accept it as a given – an end to the Age Of Entitlement would easier to bear if it lead to a genuine Age Of Enlightenment where individuals were truly valued.
One thing that worries me greatly is that I saw very few teachers burnout a decade ago – term break / holidays always came almost in time; not soon enough to avoid some stress and the occasional melt down in the final week or two of term, but regularly enough to avoid complete collapse. Now I see it or hear of it quite often – and, particularly disturbing from my perspective, increasingly so among ‘veterans’. The job has become increasingly faster paced, overburdened with layers of accountability and (despite the language of much edu-speak) alienating for all concerned through the adoption of a client services model. I am inclined to believe the flight of parents to the private sector is an embodiment of the above two factors – an anxiety about the ‘system’ (where private sector is seen as free from its failings); and an attempt to own the situation (clients asserting their $$$ ‘rights’).
Cameron (as ever) raises some very good questions regarding research and data … I would be interested in seeing a breakdown of burnout according to various public / private (and their subsets) sectors.