The challenges of part-time teaching

“Well, it’s not going to be as difficult as teaching full time is it?”   That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? I knew it, and you’re right. I taught full time for five years and I know exactly what the challenges are. After those five years, I felt burned out. So in January 2018, I decided …

Five things being a teacher has taught me

As teachers, we always talk about the progress of our students. We watch them arrive (if you're a secondary school teacher like me) bright-eyed in year 7, and grow almost unrecognizably through to year 11 and sometimes even on to the sixth form. It's one of my favourite parts of the job, which I always …

How to keep your school e-mail under control

I wasn't a teacher before there was e-mail, but I can imagine that it was a different world. Not commenting on that e-mail chain about a particular student's deteriorating behaviour, checking meeting minutes at the weekend or reading back over a conversation you had six months ago. For all the good things e-mail as brought …

Protect the quality of your teaching by harnessing the power of NO

Saying no to something is never popular. People won't praise you for it, they won't thank you for it - however, it could be one of the most important words of your professional career. As teachers, we are great at doing lots of things, we've always got things on the go - but, I think …

Live marking – what, why and how to do it

Marking is a key part of being a teacher. You couldn't do without it, nor would you want to. It's one of the most revealing and effective ways to tell where your students are with their learning and what you can do to help them. However, the idea that marking has to take you ages, …

Creating realistic optimism in your classroom

The job of a teacher is to be optimistic, for ourselves and our students. We are supposed to teach students to be ambitious, to push themselves, to be the best they can. I count myself as an optimist - it's been essential in all my achievements so far. Who would bother to put in all …

Helping your targets stick

I love setting targets for myself. When I'm relaxed over a holiday or at the start of term, it's great to think about what I would like my life to be. The challenge comes when I'm back into the thick of teaching, planning and marking and the targets I set have to take a back …

The power of taking a social media break as a teacher

Social media is great. Scrolling through Twitter today and seeing resources, advice and excitement being shared is inspiring. However, over the holiday, I've not been on it at all - and I've loved it. As someone who checks my Twitter and Instagram at every available opportunity, it was strange to start with - but I …

Dealing with the holiday blues

The holiday blues must seem crazy to someone who isn't a teacher. But I'll tell you this -  it's totally normal to feel sad, underwhelmed or even a bit depressed during the holidays when you're normally so busy, productive and structured. In this article I'm going to share a few ideas about how to deal with those …

Nine things to think about when you’re training to teach

I remember embarking on my own teacher training journey a few years ago. Quite honestly, I had no idea what it would involve. I knew people who were teachers, had spent some time in school, but what it would be like to be a teacher was unknown territory. With that in mind, here’s some advice …