Growing through life’s bumpy moments: key experiences transforming the careers of positive veteran performing arts teachers

ABSTRACT

With many performing arts teachers succumbing to stress and burn-out and rates of attrition growing, it is critical to understand factors which enable some teachers to remain positive, committed and enthusiastic in their teaching. Interviews with four female veteran performing arts teachers revealed ways in which key complex and profound experiences of their careers had enriched their professional lives. Given the significant impact these positive veteran teachers continue to have on their colleagues and students, we advocate the importance of utilising the stability these teachers can provide in shepherding colleagues and beginning teachers through their own inevitable bumpy moments in their careers.

KEYWORDS:

• Veteran teachers
• performing arts teachers
• later-career teachers
• long-term teachers
• teacher career trajectories
• positive teachers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christina Gray

Christina Gray is the Coordinator of Dance and Drama Education (Secondary) with the School of Education at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. Christina’s research interests include: drama and Arts education in secondary schools; teacher education and the practicum; teacher trajectories; teacher beliefs, portraiture and narrative methodologies. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8464-1961

Geoffrey M. Lowe

Geoffrey M. Lowe is a former secondary school music teacher, and is now Senior Lecturer in Education within the School of Education at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. His research interests include music education in secondary schools, student motivation, and more recently teacher efficacy. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9413-7080

Peter F. Prout

Dr Peter F. Prout’s current passion and interest centres around 21st C teachers being highly skilled as reflective professionals who are committed to leading their students away from ignorance and towards high personal standards of intellect and social and community behaviour and leadership.

Sarah Jefferson

Dr Sarah Jefferson is a former Head of English and Literacy Co-ordinator. She is currently a Unit Co-Ordinator for the Master of Teach Secondary at Edith Cowan University. Sarah’s current research is examining the positive coping strategies of Veteran West Australian teachers. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3038-1399