This post answers the 7th question from my TeacherToolkit Thinking page of Thunks. You can see my other top-Thunks here.
Thunk 7: What has your teaching changed about your life and what has your life changed about your teaching? by Headteacher @MooreLynne1
Answer below:
I believe that the best teaching is personal. Your pedagogy is intrinsically linked to your personality, of course tempered with systems and knowledge. The best teaching propels children on to do their best, and sometimes more than
There is do much here that I can identify with! I myself have always wanted to teach and despite being in a school for 13 years, I was never really myself….. I also had an alter ego that made me more suitable for my clients!!!! I plucked up the courage to move schools nearly three years ago now and I am at a school where I can be myself. In those two years I have gone from being a good teacher to an outstanding teacher. I have a renewed love for teaching and my passion is shared with my pupils making their learning fun and encouraging them to share my love for my subject. I love what I do and have raised the profile of my subject from nothing to one of the most popular departments in the school but this has come at a price! As a working Mum, time to relax is something that I rarely have the luxury of, and towards the end of a half term, those warning lights are definitely flashing…. I am trying to make more time to enjoy life, but find that I am spending my free time planning more exciting lessons in order to inspire my students and help them to achieve their full potential! Teaching for me is not just a job, but a true vocation….. There is nothing else that I would want to do and I know that anything else would never be as rewarding!!!
Same here 🙂 It’s hard to balance sometimes, especially for our own children. But I think this also teaches them about the importance of hard work and dedication. Keep doing what you are doing, sounds amazing.