Teaching is demanding. That said, the prevailing climate over the last two years has taken the role of a teacher to a completely new level. Perhaps now is a good time to reassess teaching and rethink how we support staff to be able to provide the best possible education for our young people.
Lockdown, in some ways, was a blessing. My observations from my own social circles made it quite clear that there was a ground swell of respect and a newfound admiration for the teaching profession. Many of my peers had begun to realise how challenging it can be to teach young learners.
Children are naturally inquisitive. Asking questions is a gift that needs to be nurtured, but even for a well-educated adult it can be difficult to know all the answers. Think about your own knowledge and capabilities. Can you really explain to a child why the sky is blue? What is a black hole? How is a rainbow formed? If you find yourself feeling quietly confident, then what if the same child starts asking you: what is String Theory? Can you explain the Standard Model of particle physics? Â We can all keep learning, even as adults.
“Can you really explain to a child why the sky is blue?”
Science and technology are now moving at such a pace that even the most dedicated science teachers need some help. There are already many different activities taking up a teacher’s time but developing their subject knowledge should not be left to their free time and goodwill. Science teachers need to be funded and given more time to keep up to date with recent scientific developments. Even finding the time to read a scientific magazine, let alone a scientific journal article, is becoming increasingly impossible for most.
In a recent survey by the National Education Union (NEU) of mainly teachers, 35 per cent of respondents were confident they would no longer be working in education in 2026. Teachers most often cite not being valued or trusted by government, as well as workload as their biggest issues.
“Science and technology are now moving so fast that even dedicated science teachers need some help.”
We all know time is money. However, overworking your science teacher assets is ultimately ending in teacher burnout and a mass exodus. Teachers are not robots — they need to be nurtured and invested in wisely. How do we retain great teachers and prevent the experience and expertise currently being haemorrhaged from schools across the country?
Firstly, invest in your most important assets. Provide your science teachers with time to learn about cutting edge science, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), novel uses of graphene or how Oxford University developed their covid vaccine.
Teachers entered the profession because they love their subject and they wanted to share this passion with their students. We need to keep that fire alive and by giving teachers time to immerse themselves in their own subject, we are catering for their needs too. Schools are better places when everyone is valued and providing time to develop subject knowledge is one way to show teachers they matter.
“Fostering the importance of a learning culture amongst staff trickle down to students.”
Secondly, fostering the importance of a learning culture amongst staff would trickle down to the students, with learning being seen as an on-going, lifelong process which continues after leaving formal education.
Perhaps in the future, science teaching will be more of a voyage into the unknown, as the pace of technological change continues to accelerate. The relationship between student and teacher could become more collaborative, as they learn about new science together. Teachers will need time and energy to keep their minds agile enough to take on the new ideas and concepts.
If the future is reimagined before it arrives, then schools may hold onto their most valuable resources for longer. New teachers entering the profession will benefit from their colleagues’ collective experience and wisdom. Teachers with current scientific knowledge can use it to engage and inspire the next generation of scientists.
Perhaps the opportunity for change, which is present in a post-pandemic society, could be used not only to stem the science teacher resignation tide, but turn it completely.