COVID-19 is the discussion point at the fore for schools, staff and students. How do we proceed in this current environment? How do we juggle the health orders, society expectations, teachers, parents, and be safe at work?
The IEU has been actively engaged in this space for many months to promote teachers and support staff to be vaccinated as essential workers.
Teachers are on the frontline across all sectors of the community – because it is the community who is coming into my school and workplace.
Despite home-based learning, all schools have some students on site, whether in a red zone or not. Across the various sectors and LGAs, schools and teachers are again working to provide excellent educational support for their students and families.
It is understandable that during this time we look at the conflicting advice, strong opinions of media, colleagues, politicians, and wonder how it will pan out. Over the last 18 months, teachers have been a stable force for the community in the turbulence of COVID-19 regulations.
It has become more and more obvious that workload has not eased. In fact, in many cases it has increased and become more demanding and complex. It is important that we do not allow ourselves to keep taking on more without asking “What do I not do?”
Allow yourself reflection time to critically assess the important over the urgent, and how best to address it. Talk to your rep or organiser if you need to clarify issues or concerns. Remember the IEU is being very active to ensure teachers and support staff have a voice. Check out our Facebook page to keep up to date.