“What sort of teacher will I be?” and “What does the future hold for me?”

2. 2. What are the
expectations?
4. How do we
overcome perceived
obstacles and build
1. Reflect on our resilience?
teaching
identity?
3. What are
some barriers
or obstacles?

5. Graham & Phelps, 2003

6. 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…………………………….……

8. 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.

9. Why?
Ewing & Manuel (2005)

10. Richardson (2007)

12. 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.

14. 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).

15. 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.

16.  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)

17. Well Teachers, well students
Teacher 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)

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

20. Queensland College of Teachers

21. “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 KeithcottFarm Primary School, SA

22. Bibliography
Masten, 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.