Lucy Kellaway is the high-profile financial journalist who was so convinced that going into teaching would be fab that she set up an entire training route (NowTeach) before training. She’s now on her training year and writing updates for the FT about how it’s going.
twitter.com/lucykellaway/status/983250200654475264 This one takes her up to Easter.
She seems to be enjoying it and doing well, but gratifyingly has written this: “The disappointing news is that overall I am nowhere near the good teacher I want to be — or thought I would be. I continue to defy those FT readers who emailed 18 months ago when I announced I was leaving journalism to say: lucky kids, you’ll be a marvellous teacher.
Back then I privately agreed with them. I reasoned I would be a natural because I like performing. I’m resilient. I like teenagers. I like maths. I care about social mobility. I like the routine of schools. And I am frightening, so discipline would not be a problem. What else was there?
It turns out there is a great deal else.”
It is so nice to read someone who thought that they’d be a good teacher, and on paper looking like they should be a natural, admitting that actually it’s not as easy as they expected.
I really wish the DfE would wake up to the fact that new teachers really aren’t going to be fantastic immediately and that experience is valuable. And then look to retain teachers instead of frantically trying to replace them.
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.
The staffroom
Lucy Kellaway - not as good at teaching as she thought she’d be by now
15 replies
noblegiraffe · 12/04/2018 18:06
OP posts:
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.