I bring you a study conducted back in 2017 during the development of Super Ligados. This project aimed to develop a platform, whatever it may be, to connect parents and teachers in Brazil.
Maybe you've already wondered. What is the teacher's profile? Are they similar to my profile? Do we live in a very different world? Thinking about this, we decided to go in search of the answer and decided to conduct our own research. Of course, nothing here is 100% certain because the number of samples collected is much smaller than the total number of teachers in Brazil, but we can already get an idea.
At this moment we are living something totally new. The quarantine showed that many things need to be reinvented and school is one of them. We are in the midst of a digital "transformation." Online classes, on TV, and many other ways. But the question I still have 3 years after the research: Have the pains and problems of teachers been cured? Now see the research data.
This research was conducted between October 5th and 10th, 2017, using Google Forms as a tool, and there were more than 1,800 participants from across the country. The invitation to participate was made through Facebook groups, so we can see that the teachers who answered this survey are active on social media. If you prefer, you can check all the responses in full by clicking here.
So, are you curious to know the result? Let's go to the main answers.
What is your main objective?
This is a very broad question and we had countless answers, both personal and professional. Check below the most common answers to this question.
— To offer children opportunities and experiences they don't have at home;
— To awaken knowledge in my students;
— To see tomorrow's winners, people, good citizens who one day will look at me and say: "This guy was part of my life";
— Social transformation;
— To bring current events and experience to students;
— To transfer good knowledge to my students;
— To make my students better people;
— To make classes more fun to encourage student learning.
Many teachers mentioned the term having recognition, this may be a reflection of the data we will show below. But some teachers also mentioned that they wish to leave education and pursue other completely different areas. Are these teachers tired and demotivated? Other teachers also dream big. They want to fulfill their personal dreams, do a master's degree, doctorate, become coordinator or director, among many others. A small group also dreams of entrepreneurship and wants to have their own school.
And of course, we couldn't fail to mention this: many teachers want to be great professionals and above all be happy. Perhaps among more than 1,800 responses, the one that most caught my attention was this one — To pass a message of hope through education. In a simple analysis, the vast majority are committed to education and want to form good citizens and that their actions change society for the better.
What are your challenges?
Well, everyone has challenges to overcome, you and me, no matter who it is. Challenges are part of our daily lives. Let's see the main challenges mentioned by teachers:
— School bureaucracy;
— Students with little motivation and demotivated;
— Crowded classrooms;
— Public policies;
— High cost of new academic courses like master's degree;
— Lack of teaching materials;
— Lack of support;
— School infrastructure;
— Lack of quality in teaching materials provided by governments;
— Time (Repeated countless times);
— Financial difficulties related to low salary.
Some teachers also mentioned that frustration and psychological wear is so constant that they claimed to be depressed. Guys, depression is serious. If you're feeling this way, seek help as soon as possible.
Another word that was repeated countless times is "Opportunity." Opportunity to study more, time. We can see that challenges are present in all parts of the school, it's not just books, it's not just students. It's basically everything! What can we do to change this? Maybe it's to reformulate all education, not just methodology and books, but from teacher motivation to the sheet of paper.
What irritates you most in the classroom?
Being very honest with you? This question wasn't so surprising in the answers. Looking at these answers, it even seems like the teachers agreed, but it wasn't agreed upon! The fact is that we have serious problems in the classroom. Many teachers, if not the majority, claimed lack of education, disrespect, and disinterest as the main source of irritation. After all, what's happening? Do we have more rebellious students? Have teachers lost their role of teaching? Anyway, this is a very complicated subject to deal with, but we need to talk. This needs to be changed urgently!
Remember that many teachers in the first question said they are demotivated.
So imagine, the lack of parental support in children's education combined with disrespect among so many other factors. This only leads teaching quality downward. How can we change? By changing the way parents, students, and society as a whole see school. It's not with fights or protests, but by understanding why that student is acting this way. Many 'ill-mannered' students have serious problems in their family, and the way they act may be a reflection of this. That's why, before getting irritated when a student acts with lack of education, try to understand why they act this way.
Let's remember that our research is not 100% Brazilian reality, because the number of samples is very small compared to all existing teachers in the country. What is the teacher's profile? The answer is: for the most part, teachers are tired and demotivated by various factors. They are between 25 and 45 years old, have postgraduate level, and work in elementary and high school.
What we can change immediately in education is to propose debates between teachers, parents, and school, to understand what their real problems are. These debates can be held in your own school, in meetings, gatherings, among others, because only through dialogue will we understand the real problem that each school has and help improve education. And you, do you have anything else to say?
