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It’s been three weeks since I returned to work following maternity leave and I’ve heard this question a lot during that time. It hasn’t been easy, I didn’t think it would be.  Picking up new classes half way through a school year was never ideal, but given that those classes had already had several teachers and were tired of yet another new face meant it has been a challenge.  At the end of my first week I cried on the way home, and I’m usually quite resilient when it comes to my job. It’s become a little easier, my classes… View Post

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It’s Monday morning of the last week of school before the summer holidays.  It’s been a long time coming but the end is in sight, but you still need to get through the next 5 days, and you’re bound to experience a few of these: 1.  It’s pot luck who will actually turn up to your lessons.  With end of year trips, summer fetes and a few pupils jetting off for an early summer holiday the numbers start to dwindle. 2.  You will hear “Miss, are we having a fun lesson today?” at the start of every hour. 3.  And… View Post

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When I tell people that I’m a teacher, more often than not their assumption is that I’m a primary school teacher.  I’m not sure if it’s because (despite my advancing years) I don’t look too old or that they think there’s no way I could get a group of high school kids to sit down and give me their full attention for an hour. Once it’s been cleared up that I definitely don’t teach the little ones, the next question is, “what age do you teach?”  After my response of 11-18 (and there have a been a few 19 years olds in there… View Post

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Once upon a time in the not to distant past I strived to be an outstanding teacher. I wanted to be the inspirational educator students told their future kids about. Okay, I was young and naive back then but it was where I aimed to be. After 13 years in the job I now know that, according to Ofsted criteria, I will never be outstanding and for the following reasons: 1. I don’t care about QMA (Quality Mark Assesment) sheets being completed in their books. I have taught them, marked their books, marked their tests, returned their tests with feedback… View Post