A local teacher from Sunshine North Primary school is working on an important assignment to help challenge narrow and outdated perceptions of the profession.
Mitchell is part of a handful of teachers who are working to shift people’s perceptions on what teaching is in 2023, as part of the ‘Teach the Future’ campaign.
Mitchell said one of the biggest stereotypes people have of teachers is about the amount of holidays they receive.
“That’s one of the big shifts in public perceptions that we want to change, just about what the profession actually involves. Without those holidays, teachers would be completely run down,” he said.
“As humans, we give so much to these little humans that we teach, and at times we need to reset and rest.”
The Teach the Future campaign is part of an ongoing mission to inspire more people to consider a career in teaching, and curb teaching shortages across the state.
Working through his fifth year as a teacher, Mitchell said teaching is an invaluable profession that has its own intrinsic motivations.
“At the core of it, is just helping students. That’s the reason why I come to work every day – for the kids,” he said.
“As teachers we get to see the light bulb moments students have when they see the connections between what they learn in school and apply it to the real world.”
For aspiring teachers, Mitchell said his biggest piece of advice is to remember that the profession is ever-evolving.
“You have to have a love of learning and always want to do more when you can. But you also need to balance that with knowing when ‘more’ is limited. The last thing you want is to run yourself down.”
Hannah Hammoud
