New Educators in Aotearoa today
To our fellow members, from all sectors, roles and backgrounds
Please consider..
That it is our responsibility
to advocate for new educators,
for all educators.
The age range of new educators in their first three years of teaching
New educators were asked – Have you been employed in full time work prior to teaching?
The Student Teacher
Initial Teacher Education Providers in NZ today 23 ITE providers across 36 sites offering 65 different Primary, Kura Kaupapa Māori, Kohanga Reo, bilingual and Early Childhood teaching qualifications
New educators were asked – What teaching qualification did you complete?
New educators were asked – What is your current student loan balance?
“Anecdotally, it seems some schools are reluctant to offer permanent jobs to unproven BTs because their faith in initial teacher education (ITE) is shaky”- Louise Green (Education Aotearoa)
“In recent years, entry to this profession has become very competitive with supply outstripping demand. That situation is unlikely to change significantly over the next five years.” - Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (2015)
The Job Hunter The Job Seeker
“The cost to the taxpayer (let alone to students) is high. The government pays providers to train students who can’t get jobs, and then it pays a for- profit company – Education Personnel – to run a ‘ job find assistance programme’ for recent graduates.” – Education Aotearoa (2015)
New educators were asked: Would you or have you considered moving to a different region for permanent teaching work?
“Children in my care prevent me from doing this. If I was child free then I wouldn't hesitate to move for a permanent position.”
“My husband makes more money than me- if he could find a job I definitely would.”
“After applying for 80 jobs a school gave me a chance. This chance required me to move 10 hours away from home. Because it was a short fixed term, I left my family behind, there was no transfer assistance and I had to pay for this move and accommodation in two places. It was a great opportunity and my first CV out after this position I got the job at my current school. This job is still 7 hours away from home but at least it's confirmed for two terms.”
“(Finding your first job) is a real challenge. There's more sad stories than positive stories. (With 100 -120 applications for jobs), how do you manage that? How do you decide who are the top 50 even, let alone the top five?” - Rikki Sheterline (Principal and National Executive member)
The Provisionally Certificated Teacher (PCT)
New educators were asked – How many times have you been on a fixed term contract?
“You cannot use a fixed term agreement to set a time period to assess whether the employee is suitable for permanent employment.” – Ministry of Education
The high numbers of teachers who changed teaching positions during their induction was a barrier to achieving an appropriate start to teaching - Teachers Council (2008)
Over 150 new educators commented on the impact of fixed term work..
“Last year I was on a fixed term contract. There were 7 of us at my school on fixed term. The whole year felt like a job interview.”
“Applying for jobs takes a lot of time and effort so you do kind of have to make room somehow. My worry is that it means I spend less time doing things for my classroom as well as being very stressed out about the situation. I hope my performance doesn't suffer from this.”
“It means I have no real permanency in my life. I don't want to get a mortgage if I don't know if I'll have a job next year or even if I'll be in the same area.”
“Having to go through the whole application process year after year is very disheartening. It makes you feel like you are not wanted and they’re looking for a better option...”
“You are hesitant to building any lasting relationships”
“I remain gob-smacked that this kind of behaviour is acceptable...some schools worse than others but no one in my cohort was unaffected by this situation.”
“It feels like new teachers are being punished for being new by having a lot of uncertainty about the future.”
“I really love my school and hope my job gets offered back to me again.”
“I know (directly and anecdotally) that many schools now advertise permanent positions as fixed term to 'try out’ teachers. This is both immoral, illegal and immensely frustrating.”
“I hate it. I don’t feel valued and I get scared when I hear about our declining roll– if our centre will becomes financially unstable, then it’s my job that will be gone. I wish I was a permanent staff member.”
“I think it is important to feel secure, to have a place of belonging and to be able to develop great secure, trusting and safe relationships with the teaching team, whanau and tamariki.”
Teacher induction is important – both for retaining beginning teachers and for establishing strong foundations for quality teaching Cameron, Lovett and Berger (2007)
Only about half of the PCTs in schools have their induction and mentoring responsibilities and entitlements explained to them as part of their orientation – Teachers Council (2008)
This drops to only 41% in early childhood education – Teachers Council (2008)
A limited number of tutor teachers in kura kaupapa Māori can mean 1 tutor teacher working with up to 4 Provisionally certificated teachers
74% of Primary PCTs meet with their tutor teacher once a week
59% of ECE PCTs meet with their tutor teacher only onc once a e a month onth or or term erm
“In fulfillment of their obligations to the teaching profession, teachers will strive to assist newcomers to the profession ” - Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers
“I have had 2 very different experiences. My first year I was left to fend for myself with very little input from my mentoring programme. This year my programme is more structured and I have progressed a lot in the short space of time”
“As a casual relieving teacher I don't have any real access to the mentoring program at the centre I am working for. I have worked for this centre for four years on and off.”
“I think the job of a mentor teacher is great, but where is the discretion in who gets this job? Mine is amazing but far too busy for me. This sort of thing is out of our control but has a massive impact on our workload and well being.”
“My mentor relationship in my first year just about ended my career in teaching and I was diagnosed with situational depression.”
“My boss promised to start my registration as soon as I had been there for 6 months. It didn't happen. I even asked if I could pay for my own mentor, the reply was “No”.”
To our fellow members, from all sectors, roles and backgrounds
Please consider..
That it is our responsibility
to advocate for new educators,
For all educators.
So where to from here?
Table discussion: Why do you think it is important that we all support and advocate for new educators?
Why do you think it is important that we all support and advocate for new educators? In small groups, sum up your table group discussion in one word or short statement and write your word or statement on the paper provided. New educator members will be collecting these and they will be displayed in the foyer throughout the day.
New educator success depends on… leadership and organisational commitment and practices collegial support emotional support opportunities to continue learning about teaching (Cameron, Lovett and Berger, 2007)
Learning to teach is a complex, lengthy under taking, from preparation to new teacher induction and new teacher induction to continuing professional development. It’s success depends on the contributions of universities, schools, and unions working as partners at each stage along the continuum. Each has a critical role to play and none can do the job alone. - Sharon Feiman-Nemser (2001)
To our fellow members, from all sectors, roles and backgrounds
Please consider..
That it is our responsibility
to advocate for new educators.
To allow space and opportunities for new educators to support each other
To ensure that all new educators are genuinely supported on each part of their teaching journey,
that they know that their experiences and issues are heard,
that they genuinely see themselves in their union
and that their fellow members support them.
Lets ensure that they are in fair, stable and collegial working environments which allow them to thrive
For the ongoing integrity of the profession
Recommend
More recommend
