According to a recent National Union Survey, one in three teachers is currently planning to quit the classroom within 5 years due to increased workload and lack of external respect for the profession. Research from Hays Education suggests the number is even higher with 65% of teachers having considered leaving the profession due to poor well being. Morale is at an all-time low due to the increased pressures from Covid.
On top of that, March 2020 marked a shift in the educational system everywhere in the world. But while many consider these months lost, the period was actually incredibly evolutionary, and teachers should get full credit for it. Teachers and schools adapted incredibly quickly and gave children the constant support they needed through a very difficult time.
This whole scenario pre and post-pandemic motivated Alison Kriel to find a solution to support teachers and school staff in difficult periods, whilst also offering a safe space to celebrate the good ones. “A few years ago I took on a failing school and, throughout my time there, I knew that there were amazing things happening. But these seeds of positivity were overshadowed by the relentless need to continue to improve. We lived in a climate of fear and shame”, says Kriel.
That’s why she created Above & Beyond, an online platform that is an open space for those making a difference in Education to share ideas and have meaningful and professional conversations to make every school a great place. Alison believes every child deserves a great education and teachers across the country need to work together to achieve this. “If we all come together, we become collaboratively responsible for every child, in every school, being successful,” says Kriel.
That’s why she has made the platform free for teachers and school staff. Alison Kriel wants Above & Beyond to be a safe space where teachers can collaborate and ask questions but also celebrate and share success stories with one another.
The platform also allows school staff to network with service providers, innovators and consultants. Above & Beyond aims to build a community of people working together to make Education better and ensure our teachers are being valued and supported.
“We’re here for people who collaborate; build each other up and then cheer from the sidelines. We know all educators go above & beyond”, says the founder.
Learn more about Above & Beyond at https://aboveandbeyond.education/.
