Teachers need to remember that there is more to life than teaching. I believe it important for teachers take time to relax and in that relaxation to get right away from their professional obligations. One good way of doing this is to leave school at school and not to take it home. It may be that teachers start work early or leave school late in order to accomplish what needs to be done; that is wiser than putting school into bags and cases to take home in order to work on at night.

Teachers need relaxation, time with families, and to extend their interests and activities to life beyond classrooms. Dedication is important but to become introverted and narrowly focused on teaching and classroom does little to expand personal development for educators. Already a great deal of “out of class room” time is asked of teachers for extra curricular activities associated with schools. Then there’s the professional development needs that ask teachers to spend time after work and at weekends honing their professional skills. school camps, reporting nights and the many, many hours it takes to prepare school reports add to the extracurricular list.

While most teachers are motivated by the desire to work with and develop children, the issue of reward does come into contention. NT Teachers are paid for 36.75 hours each week. However, the vast majority put in 15 or 20, sometimes more hours each week over and above the time recognised by renumeration. This time is generally given willingly. It is easy to see why teaching can become a profession that totally consumes people.

Work-life balance is essential and something that should always be taken into account.