This has been a great year for my professional development. I am coming to the end of my second year as an Early Careers Teacher. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and reflect on my journey.
So, I began my training during the pandemic and taught English at my first placement school in Quorn, Leicestershire. Looking back at my lesson planning, they were embarrassingly awful! It was cognitive overload to the brim. Eek! I remember the first module I taught was the recently ‘cancelled’ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
I remember that I tried to teach the whole scheme of work in one lesson. Timings were a nightmare. I’m glad to say I’ve come a long way since then.
I was fortunate to have a good mentor. He has been teaching for over 15 years and had a presence in the room like nothing I’ve seen before. I would say that this school was relatively rough. There were safeguarding issues around children being involved with gangs, which was heartbreaking to hear about. And they had the opposite issue: highly privileged children from wealthy backgrounds who were apathetic towards their learning.
After my first placement, I began to realize that teaching isn’t as straightforward as one would think. There’s so much to do in such little time, and we also have the baggage of other things that come with the role, such as duties or meetings about meetings. What I also noticed at this school was that the quality of teaching was broad. There were apathetic teachers who have taught the curriculum over and over again and were using lessons from when I was in school. There were other lead mentor teachers who were super research-informed and were part of the Leicestershire Secondary SCITT.
Teaching during the pandemic was nothing short of strange. We had this social distance yellow tape around the front of the classroom, and students had to be sanitized at every opportunity. All sorts of strange things happened, such as this two-meter radius rule, where you might have a full class one day, but the following day it transpired that a child tested positive and any child who was near them within two meters would also need to self-isolate. These children would then need to stay at home and tune into the lessons on Microsoft Teams with the cameras and mics on to engage with the learning. Fortunately, the one thing we learned from enduring a global pandemic is that the education sector is fairly bulletproof from being replaced with automation. We’ll come back to artificial intelligence (AI) and how teachers can use that at a later stage.
I then worked at a new secondary school in the heart of Leicester city town centre. This school managed to bring in some of the best teachers I have ever seen. The assistant headteacher (Teaching and Learning) was phenomenal. She was also formerly the head of English, but she had a vision. Reflecting and looking back now, some of the things that she did implement felt slightly shoehorned. Such as the staff meeting with fellow colleagues in peer groups in specific rooms to watch a video of a fellow member of staff deliver a new form of pedagogy in the classroom to share best practice. There would be a camera at the back of the classroom, and it would record the teacher delivering interesting research-informed pedagogical approaches.
I will say wholeheartedly that this school is what shaped me into the teacher I am becoming. Behaviour was exceptional. Students came in to complete the Do Now – Knowledge Recall activity in silence. Non-verbals were school-wide. Children would raise hands, and when the teacher did, the room would be silent. Expectations were high, and I mean very high. Teachers greeted students at the door and addressed any behaviour concerns. The list goes on; I
learnt a lot at the school. The one thing that I admired most was their focus on helping close the attainment gap and enriching children’s lives with cultural capital.
However, despite passing the rigorous interview process and being offered the job, I am glad I didn’t accept employment there. I had spent almost 8 years in Leicester, and I truly wanted to move somewhere else for a change.
I was headhunted on LinkedIn for an Independent prep school in Buckinghamshire. They had a Zoom interview with me and invited me to an in-person meeting. It was a great deal. The pay was better than the state sector, and they gave me residence in a three-bedroom house to myself. The location was somewhat desolate, and I didn’t have a car, nor could I drive, so I did feel somewhat stranded. The English department consisted of me and the head of English, no one else. What she said was gospel, and the hypocrisy was unreal. One thing I learned about independent schools is that they are essentially businesses. And if they are run badly, they are run very badly. I found it preposterous that one of my duties was to be a receptionist until the actual receptionist arrived for work. This didn’t make any sense to me.
The head of English was a former lawyer, with no PGCE or English degree. I felt internally outraged as parents were paying upwards of £20,000 for an education sourced from twinkl. I thought I was hired as a freshly qualified, enthusiastic, research-informed teaching practitioner of English. Instead, what they really wanted was someone to nod their head and do as told. Things such as marking all books daily. Yes, that’s right, daily. I would love to see what the research literature says about that for staff well-being and retention. Not to mention my observation of her books once she was gone at 16:30, and I was there most evenings until 8 pm.
It should come as no surprise, then, that after 12 weeks (one term) and being told that they couldn’t facilitate my ECT program and development, I wanted to be at a school that would support my personal and professional growth. Three schools, all very different.
The end of the year was approaching, and I had moved back to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, and looked on TES for where teaching would take me next.
In my mind, Bath, England, would be a desirable place to live and work, and competition for teaching positions was fierce. Despite the challenges, I remained hopeful.
Before Christmas, I noticed a job opening at an outstanding school in Bath—a faith school—with a vacancy for teaching A-level Sociology, History, and RE. As you may know from my previous blog post, I completed an MA in Religion, Politics, and Society at the University of Birmingham. Encouraged by my interest, I plucked up the courage to make a phone call to the head of humanities. We had a productive conversation, and she urged me to submit an application through TES. Without hesitation, I applied and was soon invited to Bath for an interview, where I was asked to deliver a lesson on an A-level Sociology topic. I wanted to showcase my research-informed approach, and I prepared meticulously. I went to stay over at my brother’s flat and delivered my interview lesson and took on their feedback and implemented any last changes. I then slept on their airbed restlessly awaiting the next day.
I wanted to demonstrate everything I could bring to the table for the students at that school. And, to my delight, reader, I got the job! I was ecstatic about joining this amazing school, where the growth and development of the child were at the heart of their educational curriculum. There was no worry or pandering to OFSTED; it was all about ensuring that each child grew up to be a well-rounded and wonderful human being. It was a breath of fresh air!
Of course, delivering three different curriculums across three faculties, year groups, and classes was challenging, but the children were truly great. Although some of the facilities were outdated, with buildings stuck in the 70s, the enthusiasm and engagement of the students made up for it. It was an absolute joy to work there, and I was genuinely invested in their education. I would have loved to stay, but unfortunately, my maternity leave was coming to an end, and I had to consider other options.
Fortunately, the head of humanities was kind enough to recommend two schools, both of which I interviewed at. In the end, I found myself back in the state sector.
September 2022 marked the beginning of a new academic year, and instantly I saw what I had been wishing for—a happy workplace with a true sense of family. Everyone was genuinely kind and pleasant to be around. Our senior leadership team was exceptional and brilliant, with a clear focus on utilizing the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) as a tool to close the attainment gap.
Under the guidance of our assistant head of teaching and learning, the school strived for consistency across the board. Whether one was new to the profession or a seasoned veteran, consistency was emphasized. As a school, we implemented a “do now” activity at the start of every lesson (a practice I was already familiar with). Additionally, our assistant head in charge of literacy introduced Katherine Mortimore’s Disciplinary Literacy approach. Finally, we began equipping students with glossaries and teaching them the actual Cambridge dictionary definitions of Tier 2 vocabulary words. The implementation of a “word of the week” and an accelerated reader focus inspired me to incorporate the teaching of root words with dual-coding theory. Metacognition was woven throughout the academic year, encouraging students to think critically about their learning journey. This pedagogical focus aligned with the EEF’s recommendations for closing the attainment gap.
I have been particularly enthusiastic about incorporating the use of ABCD cards and mini-whiteboards for formative assessment in the classroom. I also introduced non-verbal assessment for learning (AFL) by using hand gestures to check for understanding. There were so many aspects of my job that I found enjoyable and fulfilling. I was given the opportunity to build a scheme of work which incorporated our school wide focus.
As the end of the year approached, I hoped to conclude on a high note. Looking ahead, I knew that the next year would inevitably bring new challenges. First and foremost, I would be entering married life, and it was important for me to prioritize my soon-to-be wife. Additionally, I had committed to pursuing a part-time doctorate in Education at the University of Bath, which would require me to write 8,000 words for the Education and Leadership module within nine months. I knew it would be a demanding endeavor, but I was determined to succeed.
Furthermore, there are changes on the horizon at my school.
A new headteacher would bring a fresh vision and direction for the school, while a new deputy headteacher with what looks like a corporate background would introduce new perspectives. Additionally, a new second in department (DCTL) of English would be appointed, and I hoped that any changes would be made with careful consideration and the best interests of the students in mind. Alongside these changes, I will begin teaching Year 10 literature and Year 11 Language.
Despite the unknowns and upcoming challenges, I intended to remain at my current school for the foreseeable future, at least for the next 5-8 years until I completed my doctorate. Only then would I consider the next step in my career. However, as we all know, life is full of surprises, and who knows what opportunities and paths may present themselves along the way? I was genuinely curious and excited to see how my journey would unfold and what the next year would bring. How would I continue to grow as an educator? What new opportunities would arise? And, most importantly, how many lives could I go on to inspire?
As I reflect on this incredible year of professional development, I am filled with gratitude for the experiences, challenges, and growth that have shaped me into the teacher I am today. I am immensely grateful for the supportive mentors, colleagues, and schools that have guided me along this journey. Here’s to the next chapter, filled with endless possibilities and the unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of my students.
A Space To Reflect 