Once a month, Le Devoir d’éducation aims to offer enriching contributions, whether they come from researchers and practitioners in the education sector or from other people who have reflected on the state of our education system.
After a school year marked by a demoralizing labor dispute, as well as a bill that harms the profession’s reputation, I want to breathe some hope into this new school year. As a parent, I can only be concerned to hear about this shortage almost daily, which seems to have no end in sight, but I am also outraged to see teachers who end up throwing in the towel every day… And I understand them!
One of the only responses of our leaders to the shortage of teachers is to ask universities to “produce” more graduates quickly. Initial training actors are also accused of generating attrition of students during training.
What they do not know or choose to hide is that many students decide to leave the training after having completed one or more internships, where they realize that the real conditions of practicing the profession are far removed from what they had imagined, particularly from their perspective as a student.
Some also understand that they do not have sufficiently developed linguistic skills, and they become discouraged. Then, when it comes to entering the profession, many find that they are not offered conditions that really allow them to put their skills to use.
Some go so far as to say that there may not really be a shortage, but that we are rather witnessing the deleterious effects of a significant desertion of the profession. Having worked for twenty years in initial teacher training, I could believe it.
Filling a leaky bucket
I don’t have enough fingers to count my former students who have left teaching to go do something else. And these dropouts no longer happen only in the first years; they now happen at any time in a career.
What would be the point then of training faster through fast tracks (and worse, because I can hardly see how quality would not be affected) if we do not tackle the underlying problems of retention? This is without taking into account that several US studies indicate that people trained in alternative certification programs (which are very numerous and diversified) often leave the profession more quickly and in greater proportion than teachers trained in traditional tracks.
In other words, what we are trying to do now is to fill a bucket full of holes with great floods of water! And the superficial patching of the last few years is no longer enough; we need to change the bucket and start anew in a renewed environment.
Making a difference for young people
One of the special features of teaching is the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people. This is one of the reasons why many teachers find the work meaningful.
When we combine this purpose with what we love, what we excel at and the coherence felt with our values, we often have the impression of “being on our X”, as the expression goes.
Having been interested in the well-being, resilience and motivation of teachers for several years as a researcher, I was recently led to explore the Japanese concept ofikigaiwhich seems to me to translate this idea quite well. As Vandroux and Auzoult-Chagnault (2022) specify, we could associate the concept with the reason for being, and this would be linked to physical and mental health, according to several studies.
In this sense, a first line of thought for creating this renewed environment would be to allow teachers to reconnect with (and honor) this ikigai by focusing on the many facets they enjoy about their work, highlighting their strengths and accomplishments, and then giving them the chance to be consistent with their values and mission, all without losing sight of the team’s collective perspective. To do this, it will also be necessary to identify and remove the obstacles that stand in their way; I will come back to this later.
Abandon self-denial
Beyond these aspects of valorization, it also seems essential to me to encourage dedicated teachers to abandon absolute self-denial, which often leads to professional exhaustion and a feeling of helplessness.
Teachers alone cannot fix a broken system! It is therefore worth remembering the importance of taking care of yourself by learning to set your boundaries, aiming for a work-life balance, having realistic expectations, and then making the effort to see and celebrate your successes, to name a few.
This is not an easy challenge to meet, but it is nonetheless a major asset for preserving one’s health. That said, this challenge is also influenced by the environment and working conditions, which must absolutely be considered in a complementary manner.
As the Higher Education Council has pointed out in recent years, at least two major issues should be addressed quickly given their extremely harmful effects: the three-speed school and assessment.
First, many writings emphasize that the three-tier school system (private, public and selective public systems) contributes to amplifying school segregation and inequalities. In particular, it would have a significant effect on the composition of classes and would harm the chances of success of many students.
It is understandable that a government does not want to tackle this major and sprawling problem, but it is nonetheless essential. To this end, the “École ensemble” collective is proposing a Plan for a common school network that seems to me to be very promising, considering that many studies argue in favour of greater diversity in schools.
Review the assessment
As for evaluation, the (excessive) importance currently given to its sanctioning and comparison function also generates serious harm. Excessive concentration is placed on ministerial examinations, even at the primary level, for the purposes of regulating the system and developing a dashboard aimed at comparing one school or another.
Various studies highlight the disastrous consequences that this approach to assessment can have on the curriculum and not only on the psychological health of students, but also on that of teachers, who are then more likely to leave the profession. Thus, as the Higher Council of Education reminds us, it is urgent to change course and instead revalue an assessment that “really counts”, by serving student learning.
These are two aspects that seem to me to be priorities, but they are not the only ones to consider in order to improve the system. In their study conducted among beginning teachers, Desmeules and Hamel (2017) indicate that the main negative reasons for teachers dropping out concern job security and nature, working conditions, physical and psychological health, the work climate, as well as recognition and valorization. There are many avenues to work on!
And where support measures exist (because I do not want to ignore the immense efforts made by some – mentors, school management, educational advisors, school service centre staff), teachers do not always have access to them or cannot benefit from them for various reasons.
For other avenues for improving the system, in the absence of a general meeting on education, citizens’ forums have been organized in recent years by the collective “Debout pour l’école”.
Taking care of yourself
Several school service centres have objectives in their Commitment to Success Plan that target student well-being. The same is true for many schools, which also target this aspect in their educational project.
This is of course entirely commendable, and we can only be pleased about it! That said, since more and more studies reveal links between the well-being of students and that of the school staff who support them on a daily basis, I would like to encourage these environments to also consider the well-being of their staff, if they have not already done so.
And if we collectively move toward these types of changes, I hope that we can rekindle the flame of (too) many teachers who have deserted the profession recently. Not by offering them bonuses, but rather by allowing them to reconnect with their ikigai, to rediscover the meaning of their work, to flourish and to have the freedom to really change things in the lives of their students.
Despite the adversity they have faced, we should do everything we can to value our teachers and give them the means to achieve the ideals we cherish for our education system and the society of tomorrow. Let us stop patching things up at the lowest possible cost and at least try to practice the art of kintsugi, this Japanese art which aims to repair by sublimating.
If you work with teachers, take the time to thank them for what they do, then ask them what motivates them and what they would need to accomplish their mission. If you are a teacher, please take the time to stop and be aware of all that you accomplish on a daily basis (we forget to do this too often!). And please, take care of yourself, it is not a luxury, but a priority; we need you!