Stressed out teachers want phones banned in classroom

Lockdowns, pushy parents, and misbehaving students are fuelling teacher stress with 84 per cent thinking of quitting, a new survey shows.

Exclusive: Badly behaved students are taking up half the workday of tired teachers, who want to ban smartphones in schools, a shocking new survey shows.

The 2021 Teachers Report Card, by the Australian College of Educators, reveals that 84 per cent of teachers have considered quitting the profession since the start of the pandemic.

Pushy parents, paperwork, long work hours and student misbehaviour are fuelling teacher stress.

One in four teachers are giving lessons in subjects they’re not qualified to teach, the survey shows.

Three quarters of teachers feel stressed at work “fairly often to most of the time”, with 40 per cent devoting more than 10 hours a week on administrative paperwork.

Two out of three teachers have spent more time supporting students’ emotional wellbeing since the start of the pandemic.

Three quarters of teachers feel stressed at work. Picture: iStock

On average, teachers spend 10 per cent of class time managing behavioural issues – with one in six teachers revealing they can spend half their day dealing with bad behaviour.

“Teachers said they feel overworked, burnt out and undervalued,’’ the report states.

“There are still some (people) who see teaching as a ‘cruisy’ job.

“For years, the teaching profession has been criticised for being ‘easy’ based on the view that teachers get a holiday when their students do, and classes only run from 9am to 3pm.

“The reality … is that teachers work hard.

“Work does not stop once teachers leave their classrooms.

“They work many irregular hours; 30 per cent put in more than an additional 10 hours at school before going home and, once at home, 20 per cent keep working for more than 15 hours.’’

Lauren Sayer took a break from teaching. Picture: Alex Coppel

Melbourne teacher Lauren Sayer loves her job, but took a career break to work in a tech company in 2007.

“Teaching’s an incredibly hard job but I’m proud of the profession,’’ she said.

“There are some incredibly stressful days, but every day you are making a difference to the students.’’

As executive director of research and innovation at Melbourne Girls Grammar, Ms Sayer was at the frontline of training teachers and students to move lessons online during lockdowns.

“Teachers have been the unsung champions of the pandemic,’’ she said.

“The spotlight’s been on nurses and doctors and paramedics but teachers have not stopped.

“You’re part performer, part television producer over Zoom, inspiring a group of students who don’t want to be in the position.

“For teachers who are parents, it’s been difficult beyond belief to be responsible for up to 100 students every day online, with your own children at home.’’

Helen Jentz, CEO of the Australian College of Educators, said Covid-19 lockdowns have placed teachers under greater stress.

Two out of three teachers are having to spend more time supporting students’ emotional wellbeing as a result of the pandemic, the ACE survey shows.

And one in six teachers spend half the day dealing with bad behaviour.

Teachers are also copping verbal abuse and aggression from parents who view them as “glorified babysitters’’.

Nearly 80 per cent of teachers want devices like smartphones banned at school, including during breaks, so kids can only use them before or after school to call their parents.

ACE chief executive Helen Jentz said Covid-19 lockdowns have placed teachers under greater stress.

“A lot more of their time has been taken up in dealing with mental health and wellbeing issues with students,’’ she said.

“(Online teaching) wasn’t an easy shift to make.

“There is a feeling that the profession is not respected, the teacher workload is overwhelming and student wellbeing has really come to the fore, taking a lot more time and energy and resources.’’

The survey was sponsored by Futurity Investment Group, which funds the National Excellence in Teaching Awards.