The Teaching Profession: Where to from Here?

Abstract

During the health crisis in Victoria, teachers were positioned as essential workers in the media and by government. Teachers were seen to play a critical role in minimizing the impacts of the health and economic crisis. At the system level, reactionary responses targeted online platforms and structures to support remote learning. Along with supporting learning, educators’ roles broadened to encompass the additional responsibilities of social and emotional support and wellbeing for their students, particularly those at risk of disengagement. This chapter will present four vignettes across early childhood, disability, vocational education, and English as an Additional Language (EAL) delivered within school contexts. The vignettes illuminate challenges faced by the teaching profession in maintaining equitable access and learning for diverse students. Issues around equity and inclusion have long existed in education. In recent times, policies have been employed as the means of achieving an equal playing field for all students. The vignettes highlight the challenges that continue around equity and inclusion. This chapter speculates on how higher education can reposition the complex role of the teaching profession in striving for inclusivity and equity in the constantly changing educational landscape. The chapter advocates for pedagogical and funding changes to support more interconnected and collaborative approaches to teaching.