A new study is seeking to find out how experienced teachers have weathered the highs and lows of their chosen career, as new data shows the number of people leaving the profession in the ACT.
Figures released by the Education Directorate show 337 teachers and school leaders left the ACT school system over the past two years.
In 2020, 100 teachers resigned, 61 retired and three left for other reasons.
In 2021, 111 teachers resigned, 59 retired and three left for other reasons, a slight increase on the previous year's total.
Australian Catholic University education lecturer Dr Debra Phillips is surveying teachers who are nearing 20 years in schools to discover how they manage difficult situations.
The aim of the project is to create an online resource to assist younger teachers.
"There are a lot of them there who have weathered that storm, who have gone through burnout, who've gone through depression, and have still remained within teaching," Dr Phillips said.
"The research is to find out why they have stayed within teaching and how they've weathered those difficult times."
Dr Phillips said teachers were facing increased aggression from parents and students, and an increased workload due to complex reporting and accountability measures.
She said anecdotal evidence suggested that COVID had exacerbated teacher attrition rates as they switched to teaching online while also supervising their own children at home.
"I have a concern that we're trying to squeeze too much from a particular group of people, who are intrinsically valued by the community but receive little acknowledgement that they are valued," she said.
"We do not want those undergrads and pre-service teachers burnt out before they've even entered or qualified into the profession."
Former Belconnen High School principal Dennis Flannery said the increase in paperwork on compliance and safety was wearing principals and teachers down.
"There's just so much red tape, compliance and regulation which takes your eye off the main game, which is teaching," Mr Flannery said.
Over the last 10 years of his principalship, school leaders were being warned to prepare for a looming mass exit of Baby Boomer educators.
However, he said it was the pandemic that had made the day-to-day challenge of teaching harder, and contributed to people leaving the classroom.
"It's been a horrific period, and it continues to be," he said.
Former Deakin High School deputy principal Steve Provins retired for financial reasons in 2005.
He believes newly retired teachers could have a role in mentoring younger teachers, not just filling casual teaching positions.
"They could mentor by being in the classroom with the younger teachers, giving them observations, giving them support, helping them with planning of lessons, those kinds of things," Mr Provins said.
He said developing good relationships with students was key to being a successful teacher.
Dr Phillips said teachers were often motivated to stay in the profession by a sense of social justice and a belief they're doing the right thing by teaching children for the future. Positive relationships with students and other teachers also gave them motivation to stay in teaching.
"We also know those schools that have a very strong, collegial, collaborative ethos are also able to retain their staff within teaching," she said.
Her project also hopes to bring recognition to veteran teachers. Dr Phillips encouraged people to track down influential teachers from their lives to say "thank you".
"From students, it is the most welcome, welcome acknowledgement."
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