Spoiler alert : I am not the only happy teacher left in the world.
I used to be, or at least that is how it began to feel. A senior leader a few years ago said to me, “You must be the only happy teacher left in the world!” and I remember it really sticking with me as I had always loved my job and was dismayed that this was not a common feeling amongst educators. Then, it finally got me. Gradually and suddenly all at the same time – the realisation that I no longer felt the same about the job, the profession, the day-to-day challenges. I no longer loved the kind of educator I had become, and I no longer loved the impact I was having.
I am in the process of researching and reflecting on why teacher retention is at an all time low and why experienced educators are leaving in their drones. I am simultaneously fascinated with this and appalled by it on the back of my own journey and experiences – like the scab that I just cannot help but pick at – I need to know more.
As part of this research, I am going to reflect on different points of my career through a series of blogs. I’ll keep them short because quite frankly, I know you’ve all got better things to be getting on with. Time is our most valuable commodity after all. Yes, this is partly cathartic for me and will work as some kind of therapy, but I hope it brings some joy, insight and warning signs to those of you who care to read.
CB's Teaching Diaries 