Rethinking Support in Classrooms of the Future: What Great Teachers Really Need to Thrive
Written by Jeremy Waters, Founder, Elastik - WriteMark AI
Educators are driven by care, connection, commitment, and a profound sense of purpose. More than 90% say they entered teaching "to make a difference" and they want to do work that is meaningful, even when it is challenging.
But across Australia and around the world, passionate and capable teachers are walking away from the profession.
Let’s be clear: teachers are not leaving their vocation because they no longer care about their students or the work they do. They are leaving because they care so deeply, and the load has become unsustainable.
Talented, big-hearted educators are all around us. But do we truly see them?
Around one in every 80 Australians is an actively working teacher, shaping lives not only in classrooms but across communities every day. Hundreds of thousands more are currently studying and preparing to take on the responsibility of shaping young minds and guiding future generations. With university enrolments for teaching courses rising sharply in 2024 and 2025, the next chapter in education shows encouraging signs of renewal.
However, attracting the next generation of teachers is only the beginning. While recognising a teacher’s potential and commitment to service is important, recognition alone won’t sustain them. We must do more than welcome new talent—we must hold onto the wisdom and capability already within the system. Too many experienced educators are carrying an unsustainable load, quietly burning out under the weight of increasing demands and diminishing support. If we are serious about valuing teachers, we need to ensure they have the conditions that support their growth and satisfaction—respect, autonomy, manageable workloads, and meaningful career pathways. Elevating the profession means investing in both the future and the present.
Because when dedicated teachers leave, it is more than a loss—it is a message. The question is, are we listening?
The impact of losing a teacher is not confined to classrooms; it reaches well beyond the school gates. School leaders and teachers are deeply woven into the fabric of civic life. When they step away, the gap they leave behind is felt across the entire community. Students lose trusted mentors and role models. Schools lose experience, creativity, and stability.
In regional and rural communities, the loss is even greater. These communities often rely on teachers not only for education but also for leadership, connection, and continuity. Teachers are the kind of people who coach the local team, volunteer at community events, and offer support when it is needed most.
Addressing this means rethinking not only how we support teachers today, but how we design the classrooms, cultures, and systems of tomorrow.
Classrooms of the Future – Let’s Start with Heart
The heart of every classroom is the teacher within it. If we want to design better classrooms—the workplaces of our current and future educators—we must begin by creating the conditions that support our key people and the vital work they do. We do not expect doctors to heal without support, or engineers to build without the right tools. Why then do we ask teachers to carry an ever-increasing load without sector-wide investment in the environment and conditions they need to thrive?
It’s time to see our teachers, recognise what they bring, and hear the quiet exodus.
If we want our educators to stay, grow, and lead, we must invest in their development, wellbeing, and long-term success. The challenge ahead is clear: if we want our education system, and all the people within it, to flourish, we must value and care for those who hold it together.
In my presentation Bridging Hearts and Minds – AI for Human Connection in the Classroom, to be held at 10 am on Thursday 28 August, I will explore:
To secure the future of teaching, we must return to purpose. That starts with stripping away unnecessary administration and creating smarter systems that free teachers to do what matters most: connecting with students and guiding their growth.
Protecting purpose also means giving teachers the space to teach in ways that work best for their students’ needs. When their professional judgment is trusted, and their innate ability to know what each student needs is acknowledged and celebrated, we restore pride and professionalism.
Technology and AI have a role to play. But it must amplify, not replace. The right tools should remove barriers, not add burden. When technology frees up time and provides clear insights, it creates space for teachers to do what only they can: build human connection, inspire learning, facilitate understanding, and set up a child for a lifetime of growth.
The classrooms of the future should not diminish the teacher’s role, but elevate it. Imagine learning that is personalised, administration that is minimised, and relationships—with students, colleagues, and purpose—preserved and protected at the core.
Finally, we must redefine what success looks like. It is not measured in more output, but in deeper connection and meaningful educational outcomes—reflected not only in classroom achievement, but in genuine understanding and a foundation for lifelong growth and development. True success is teachers remaining in the profession not out of obligation, but because we have built systems that allow them to do the work they love and to do it well.
At Elastik, we are educators who exist to serve educators. Our vision of the classroom of the future is one where technology empowers personalisation, supports collaboration, and gives teachers the freedom to focus on what matters most: strengthening human connection and making a meaningful contribution.