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Being an Aboriginal and Islander Education Worker

How we started

Annette Miller, MindMatters Indigenous Project Support Officer, talked to some Indigenous workers from South Australia about how they were operating in their roles. They gave informal and personal perspectives on how their jobs were going. The workers were encouraged to discuss their mental health and wellbeing and how they might approach this in a positive way while being honest about job requirements. For this article six people from a range of roles related to education and health, not only Aboriginal and Islander Education Workers (AIEWs), were interviewed. Two professional writers provided an article for Staff Matters - Indigenous Education Workers that provides links to other pieces like 'Finding the Balance'.

A little about who we spoke to

The group included three AIEWs from different types of schools, an administration person who has taken on some of the duties of an AIEW, two other workers in the education sector and a worker from a non-government health service. Some said that they have never had a job where they had not felt supported and all reported that they enjoyed working in their current positions. Four women and two men answered questions and talked to us. We conducted the conversations separately. One interview took place in our office and the others were off site. We found it difficult to get people together at the one time. Interviewing them in the school/workplace also gave us an idea of the level of interruption they had experienced with their roles. There was a constant stream of visitors and there were issues that were happening as we were speaking. Often these required, or appeared to require, their immediate attention.

The aspects of the role that presented the most difficulties

One person did not have an office. This worker had an open room which students and others also used. One was in the administration area where visitors also came. The others all had offices. In two locations lack of space set aside was an issue.

Most of the group felt they would benefit from training for some issues that they were dealing with.

One worker recognised the need for her to have formal training in signing as there were hearing-impaired Indigenous students attending the school.
Another worker said that the community she was working with advised her to learn the Pitjantjatjara language so she could have an understanding of what was being said and spend less time in translation.
Others talked of the need to have more ongoing practical experience in public speaking so as to develop their skills and confidence in presentations.
Some said they needed to have training in computing skills; one person particularly wanted skills in how to use PowerPoint® for presentations.

Another aspect that emerged for most people was the expectations people had of them beyond their role because they were the only people of Aboriginal descent in the school or workplace. Often they were required to act as cultural educators, both formal and informal. This was hard to refuse because often resources in the area were small. Cultural and community awareness is an important aspect of their job. Often they were exhausted and frustrated by the training, however, particularly when teachers or other staff members had not had the experience of working with the Aboriginal community. These workers were often confronted by different value systems, issues and perspectives. Indigenous workers are accountable not only to their organisations but to the Indigenous community as well. One worker said that Indigenous workers are often the meat in the sandwich.

One worker commented on the frustration she felt by having her advice on culturally sensitive issues disregarded. In one particular incident, she said that the advice she was giving to the relevant people was not being taken seriously. She felt that she was left with no option but to let the staff members experience for themselves the confirmation from relevant Aboriginal representatives that the advice she was giving was correct. The worker's advice has since been heeded but it was an embarrassing position for all concerned.

Another worker told the story of a Home Liaison Officer in his school who was a highly regarded Elder, respected by everybody in the community. He noticed that the Elder was being over-utilised for her knowledge. He said she worked very hard to educate teachers in cultural awareness, often running workshops and presenting at staff meetings, and when an issue erupted she would be called on. This was not in her job description. She was a Home Liaison Officer, not an AIEW. Many schools and teachers did not value and respect the workers because they were not trained teachers. The major role of the AIEWs has been seen as student behavior management. Often these workers are called on to put out spot fires rather than work on programs to stop the fires.

Workers often had odd sorts of requests presented or referred to them (eg how to deal with ringworm). They also had to explain some of the cultural protocols in contacting the home and also had to calm teachers down.

At times, there is confusion between the school and worker as to what the worker's role is and what is required of them. It was believed that a lack of communication and direction or not being given the full picture were the cause of a lot of conflict between the community and the school and among the workers themselves.

These are a few examples given by the workers.

'Sometimes parents come to the school for a meeting and are upset about what they think the school is not doing for their child. Sometimes explaining the school policy helps (eg when there are issues of bullying) because the students and the parents don't know what steps to take and haven't had them explained. Sometimes, there is just a communication breakdown.'
'I think there needs to be understanding by some of the teachers that many of our parents have had bad experiences when they were at school.'
'A lot of our students are being looked after by the grandparents. Some of these grandparents have not had a good experience of school so you need to give them positive feedback.'
'Not being aware of the student's home life, for example. Some students are looking after their siblings and need to get them as well as themselves to school or the parent might be under a lot of stress and finding it hard to cope.'
'Some of the staff are not culturally aware and this can cause issues when dealing with the kids. It is good to have the support of the Principal and AIEW.'

Some Aboriginal workers, especially if English is their second language, have difficulties in carrying out their roles because of the language barrier. This can cause a lot of misunderstanding between the school and the community worker. There is also a conflict of different cultural values, which requires awareness, time and effort in gaining an understanding not only of the issue but of the language. Translating English into their own language and back into English is a very slow, tiring process for these workers.

One worker said that because he was fair-skinned he was not thought of as a person of Aboriginal descent, and he could see the difference in people's behaviour towards him compared with that shown to other Indigenous workers. With him the non-Indigenous staff were more relaxed, while with the other Indigenous workers they were often fearful of offending. He said that because of this, his work experience had been positive when compared to that of other Indigenous workers. He was not called on to deal with conflict with Indigenous students and cultural issues. He heard derogatory or racist remarks against Indigenous people and always challenged these remarks. In the school where he worked, he could see that the AIEWs had more things dumped on them. His Aboriginality was often questioned by non-Indigenous staff members and yet he had positive experiences with the Indigenous community. He also acknowledged the experience of other Indigenous workers he knew who had their Aboriginality questioned by the Indigenous community and the difficulties that they faced. He said being caught between two cultures at times caused stress.

Many non-Indigenous workers assume that if you are Aboriginal you know everything about Aboriginal culture. They do not realise that if a person comes from a different clan group or state that they are required to follow certain protocols. This can be embarrassing for the person, especially when they are portrayed as a person of authority who can speak on the behalf of all Aboriginal people.

Sometimes being good at a role means that people want you to undertake another role at a higher level - they are ambitious for you. This can be hard, especially when you are happy in your present role, there are politics involved or it's not appropriate.

The way they worked through some of the difficulties and built on their strengths

There was a difference as to how people thought about and organised themselves in relation to work and private time. When family life was too much, some people used work as their space. One person indicated that, while her family was important, she chose not to contact them during work hours. Another person working on a community found that people called at all times. The person approached the groups who kept calling and asked if they wanted her to still keep working on the community. If they did, they would have to give her some time for rest; otherwise she could get ill and there would be no service at all. One person gave the students her phone number and encouraged them to call out of hours in times of crisis. She said that this is what families do for one another.

Some workers had offices with no central heating and only their little bar heaters to keep them warm. One of the workers bought herself a pair of ugg boots to wear at work; she called them her lovely fluffy boots and said she was so pleased that she had decided to spoil herself. She had not bought herself anything special in a long time and the boots made her feel so warm that she felt much better being at work.

Because of continual changes to mobile and fixed-phone numbers and parents' addresses, one worker took on the duties of home visits as a strategy for following up on absenteeism and updating parent contact details. This was not part of her role as an administration worker but she felt it was important for her to effectively carry out that particular job requirement. She was able to do this because she took on the home visits duties of the AIEW and was also accompanied by the principal. She knew the families in the community, had lived in that area for a very long time and had family connections. She admitted that, if she was to work in another location away from the area and community that she had grown up in, she would find her work a lot more difficult even though she would still know some of the people.

Not being able to attend certain funerals because of work commitments affected some workers' wellbeing, not only because of the grief but, as one person admitted, because of the guilt they felt over upsetting other family and community members. One worker coped with this situation by having another family representative attend the funerals and pass on her respects to the family in sorrow.

Other ways they looked after themselves
The ways I looked after myself (others did this too) was, if the conflict was with a student, I constantly reminded myself not to take it personally, or as an attack on me. It's simply a student acting out against something bigger. This worked well and it was common to see the student out of school, which resulted in us talking and apologising and agreeing to handle the situation differently next time.
Others and myself worked really hard to separate work and leisure time. I spent a lot of time outside working hours with teachers from my school and another school. For example, if we all met at the pub after work, a time limit was set when talking 'shop' had to stop. At sporting events or functions, work issues were usually barred from the conversations. At home, my housemate and I would debrief the day if we needed to and then try to not comment on work.
In my current position, I still try to separate work and leisure time and put clear boundaries on when work starts and finishes, but with a lot of travel this can become difficult. I try to always keep the weekends free from work. If I travel during the week, I try very hard to be home by Friday. When I do travel, I try to pace it out to make it sustainable for me. For example, I won't try to fly in and out in a day if it is going to be a rush. I will stay overnight and travel home the next day.
Learning to switch off after working all day - with a lot of issues at school and then going home to be told about family issues, I have to say I don't want to hear it. When I get home I let family members know that I don't want to hear any dramas or conflict about other family members, especially if I have had a hard day at work. I have learnt to say I can only do so much. I always remember how lucky I am and I think knowing who you are and being yourself is important. Having a positive attitude helps. Giving back and being involved in the community helps me to keep balanced.
I take a set time out away from family as soon as I get home. I am going on a holiday and I like to get out of Adelaide. I keep thinking about the good times and try to remember the positive and the good in people. I think having a sense of humour, having a laugh, telling funny stories and being myself is very important.
I like my work and I laugh at the kids. The students have a great sense of humour. I enjoy picking my son up from day care after work and enjoy spending time with him. I also like playing sports. Oh yeah, now and then I like to buy myself some new shirts.
Sometimes I go and sleep at a friend's place to have a rest from family issues and pressures. I make sure I walk every day. I have found that this helps me to clear my thoughts as well as get fit. I also like to put fresh flowers in my house. This helps to make my house feel fresh, homely and relaxing.

The things about their role they liked

All the workers knew the importance and value of their positions, particularly as role models for Indigenous students and the community. A worker said he wanted to be a teacher - that he had something to offer students and teachers in secondary education because of the lack of male teachers and role models for Indigenous students.

All said that having at least one other Indigenous worker was one of the most important elements for their wellbeing. Having another Aboriginal person presented an opportunity to bounce ideas and strategies off one another and is vital at times in the confirmation of culturally appropriate decisions.

Another aspect was having the workplace culturally aware and sensitive to Indigenous issues. Having the positive relationships and support from the Aboriginal Education Team, principal, teachers, other staff members and managers in work-related, cultural and personal issues was an important factor in wellbeing in the workplace.

One worker liked working closely with the social worker at her school and said she thought herself lucky to be able to discuss student issues with her and to refer young people to her. She said that the social worker cared about what was happening with the Indigenous students and the students knew that she could be trusted.

Another said that he liked to help kids, see them succeed, gain confidence and complete their SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education).

This article captures a few of the issues that Indigenous workers deal with and the complexities of working with and across two cultures where values, perspectives and history often clash. All of the workers showed a sense of pride in their work and a willingness to share positive stories. They were very open about the positive and not-so-positive aspects of their roles and there was a great sense of achievement when they could see positive improvements, and students or communities achieving their goals. All of this made their work enjoyable and worthwhile.

I would like to thank Cecelia, Katrina, Brenda, Ros, Mark and Ben, as well those interview participants who did not wish to be identified, for the sharing of their stories. I would like to acknowledge Jo Mason for guidance and direction in making this article a reality.

Written by Annette Miller, MindMatters Indigenous Project Support Officer

Questions about the article to stimulate discussion

What did you think or feel about what people said in relation to their roles?

If you have a position as an Aboriginal and Islander Education Worker, what are your views on the article? If you don't have this role, what seems different or special about being an Aboriginal and Islander Education Worker as opposed to a nurse, counsellor or teacher?

What would you like to know more about?

Group work

What do you like about your job?
If you have a high interruption level - how do you plan and stay focused on what is needed for the job? How do you do long-term and 'big' things as well as short-term things? How do you decide?
How do you say 'no' to things that are not in your role or for which you do not have time?
How do you manage the boundary of personal and family business and what the school needs (sometimes that involves the family)?
Is there a time limit for some of these roles? What do you think is the working lifespan of an Aboriginal and Islander Education Worker?
What is different in the way you see the roles in education and health and the problems in your area, state or community?

This article can be used as a pre-reading. Then break into discussion groups of up to eight people. Have one person facilitate and another report back on the discussions. Bring the groups back together and have them share their ideas and then record them.

These ideas are valuable for people new to their role. They can be put into induction booklets or used as handouts.