Canadian high school teacher, Jonathon Bloomfield, is on a mission to save 10,000 teachers 2 million hours of administrative work per school year.

Entrepreneur: Jonathon Bloomfield, OCT

Industry: EdTech

Product name: Edventive

BFN Program: BFN Accelerate 2024

As teachers continue to face increasing administrative workloads, Toronto-based EdTech startup Edventive is introducing a suite of tools designed to streamline these tasks. Founded by Jonathon Bloomfield, a former teacher and self-taught programmer, Edventive addresses a significant challenge in education: the time-consuming nature of administrative work that often detracts from teaching and impedes teachers’ already scarce preparation time.

Understanding the Administrative Challenges in Education

Recent studies paint a stark picture of the teaching profession. A 2023 Merrimack College survey revealed that 57% of teachers believe fewer administrative burdens would significantly support their mental well-being. Even more alarming, over 30% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years, often citing overwhelming workloads as a primary factor.

"As a teacher, I lived it. I dreaded the endless nights and weekends lost to paperwork," says Bloomfield, reflecting on his early days in education. “I was told this was normal for newer teachers, but then I looked around and noticed my experienced colleagues sharing the same struggles.”

From Educator to EdTech Developer

Bloomfield's transition from teaching to founding Edventive was driven by his personal frustrations as high school teacher. After switching careers from analytical chemistry to teaching, he noticed the considerable time spent on repetitive administrative tasks. "While I found teaching rewarding, I also saw opportunities where technology could help streamline some of our daily administrative work," Bloomfield explains. "This lightbulb moment pushed me to combine my teaching experience with my growing interest in coding to build the solutions I wished existed for the problems I was facing."

Edventive: Streamlining Administrative Tasks for Teachers

Edventive's tools focus on automating routine administrative tasks that teachers face over and over again like marking, student feedback and reporting. Their recently updated platform allows teachers to work in batches, by either marking or providing feedback for up to 150 students at once while maintaining control over the entire process.

"Our goal is to complement teachers' expertise, not replace it," Bloomfield clarifies. "We aim to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, allowing teachers to allocate more time to supporting their students and taking care of themselves."

Potential Impact on Teacher Well-being

By reducing time spent on administrative tasks, Edventive hopes to contribute to improved work-life balance for teachers. The company believes that by freeing up their time, teachers may have more opportunities for lesson planning, professional growth, or personal time – factors that can contribute to job satisfaction and potentially aid in teacher retention.

"When we save time for teachers, we save teachers," says Bloomfield. "Our hope is that by addressing some of the administrative sources of frustration, we can help create a more sustainable work environment for the educators shaping the next generation."

Looking Ahead: Goals for Teacher Support

As Edventive prepares for the upcoming school year, they have set a goal to assist 10,000 teachers save an hour a day on administrative tasks. While modest in scale when compared to the 4.4 million teachers in Canada and the USA, this objective represents a focused effort to gather data and feedback on the real-world impact of their tools.

"Our priority is to work closely with educators, understand their needs, and refine our tools based on their feedback,” Bloomfield states. “As I teacher, I felt my needs were often overlooked and I believe that close collaboration is crucial for developing solutions that truly serve us."

Invitation for Collaboration

Edventive is inviting educators, administrators, and educational institutions to participate in piloting their tools. Those interested in exploring how Edventive's solutions might fit into their educational settings can schedule a consultation through the company's website.

"We're here to listen, learn, and work alongside educators to develop tools that genuinely support their work," Bloomfield concludes. "This isn't just about efficiency; it's about teacher wellbeing, job satisfaction, and ultimately, retention. When teachers are less stressed and more fulfilled, everyone benefits – especially their students."

About Edventive?

Founded in 2022, Edventive is a Toronto-based EdTech startup focused on developing tools to streamline administrative tasks for educators. With an emphasis on teacher input and collaborative development, Edventive aims to contribute to improved work conditions in the education sector.