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BBC Bitesize explores the hidden workload facing teachers
BBC Bitesize for Teachers is launching a new Discover experience and Google Classroom add-on to make trusted learning resources easier for teachers to find, access and share.
BBC Bitesize has worked with secondary school teachers to identify and map more than 140 different tasks that can sit alongside delivering lessons, helping inform the development of tools designed to save teachers' time.
The tasks were mapped across nine areas of teachers' working lives, from curriculum planning, lesson preparation and assessment to safeguarding, pupil wellbeing, behaviour management, wider school responsibilities and professional development. Together, they highlight the range of work teachers manage alongside delivering lessons.
BBC Bitesize’s product development also emphasises that participating teachers described homework tracking and assessment planning as manual and time-consuming, highlighting the day-to-day workload pressures they face.
Additional market research commissioned by BBC Bitesize with 500 teachers suggests that saving time on lesson planning and preparation is an important consideration when choosing digital learning resources, with 77%* of respondents identifying this as a priority.
Former secondary school teacher and TikTok content creator Matt Green, known as the Rapping Science Teacher, shares his experiences of the work and mental load behind teaching reflecting on the challenges highlighted through BBC Bitesize’s work with teachers.
Matt Green, the Rapping Science Teacher, says: “Being in the classroom and helping pupils understand something new is the best part of being a teacher. I think most teachers would agree they'd love to spend more time doing what they originally went into the profession for – teaching. But there's so much that goes on behind every lesson that people don't necessarily see.
“Before a lesson even begins, you're finding the right resources, adapting materials for pupils with different abilities and preparing activities for the class. Then once the lesson is over, there's homework to set, assessments to review and pupil progress to monitor, all while getting ready to do it again the next day. It's not just the time these tasks take, it's the mental load of constantly keeping track of everything.
BBC Bitesize for Teachers is responding with two new experiences, a Discover tool and Google Classroom add-on, designed to help teachers save time finding and sharing educational resources.
The Google Classroom add-on brings BBC Bitesize's trusted educational content directly into a platform teachers already use every day. Teachers can search thousands of resources and share them with pupils without ever leaving Google Classroom. With improved search and filtering, the new Discover tool also helps teachers find resources faster, making everyday tasks quicker, saving time across the board.
Matt Green added: “BBC Bitesize is already a resource I know and trust, and Google Classroom is part of how many teachers manage their day-to-day work. Having the two work together is a really practical step.
“Being able to find relevant content through the new Bitesize Discover tool and share it directly with pupils through Google Classroom could make lesson preparation much more straightforward. It's about making the tools we already rely on work better together, without adding another job to the list.”
Cerys Griffiths, Head of BBC Bitesize, said: “We know teachers manage a huge range of responsibilities and activities alongside delivering lessons, and our research directly with teachers highlights the sheer volume of the individual tasks.
“Our research also shows that teachers value digital tools that do more than support pupils' learning, with resources that make tasks like planning lessons, finding materials and monitoring progress easier.
“We want to help teachers save time by bringing Bitesize into Google Classroom and launching Bitesize for Teachers Discover, making our resources easier to find and share.”
To find out more, please visit: What is BBC Bitesize for Teachers? - BBC Teach