Visiting students

Teacher frustration or a dream job for young people?

Prospective primary school teachers: Theresa and Leonie

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Recipe against staff shortages at the blackboard: the training period for teaching has been reformed. The "Krone" spoke to students about the challenges and opportunities of the teaching profession.

The prospective primary school teachers are currently working on a television project in the subject of media didactics. The ladies are in the majority, Johannes is the only man in the room: "I studied mechanical engineering and changed my career path."

What motivates the young teachers
The group is highly motivated: "Children are still so malleable at primary school age. You can give them so much at this stage of their lives," says Elisa Hofstadler about her motivation to become a teacher. Marion Höfurtner has a similar view: "I really like children. They give you a lot in return."

Students are urgently needed at Salzburg's schools, where around 8,600 teachers currently work and 20 positions are vacant. There are plenty of challenges: from children with behavioral problems to demanding parents or dealing with digital dangers at an early age. Nobody can be put off here.

It's not that there are too few teachers, but that too many are currently retiring. The reform of training periods will certainly make the profession even more attractive. We are rolling out the new curriculum from the fall.

Daniela Martinek, Rektorin Pädagogischen Hochschule Salzburg

"Digital media are not evil. Audio, image and video should be properly interlinked," says Wolf Hilzensauer, media didactics teacher. "We are taking a proactive approach to innovation."

Practice in the classroom from the first year of study
In the classroom of the adjacent practical elementary school, the prospective teachers are at the blackboard early on. "By then at the latest, you know whether it's the right profession," they say. Elisa, Marion and their colleagues are still studying according to the old system. In future, however, the profession is set to become even more attractive with a training reform and a shorter bachelor's degree course.