Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Elixir For Veteran Teachers: The Power Of Social Connections In Keeping These Teachers Passionate And Enthusiastic In Their Work, Peter Francis Prout, Geoffrey M. Lowe Dr, Christina C. Gray, Sarah Jefferson

The Qualitative Report

This article is based upon the premise that there are many veteran teachers who maintain positive attitudes towards teaching throughout their careers. According to The Grant Study (Waldinger, 2015), positive attitudes towards life and work stem from close relationships and adaptive behaviours that people engage in throughout adult life. This article describes a study undertaken in Australia which revealed that, in line with Grant Study findings, positive veteran teachers (aged 40-70+ years) build and maintain supportive social connections among colleagues in their school and others outside school, plus spouse (or long-term partner) and close family, that contribute to their sense …