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International Women's Day: The 7 women who have made me the teacher I am.


1. Mrs Sayers
Mrs Sayers has now been teaching for more than thirty years. Despite telling me I shouldn’t be a teacher (turns, out she mean a primary teacher), she’s the woman who first made me think about what makes a good job. For 19 years, I watched mum clear the dining room table and sit down to work every weeknight. Every weekday afternoon, I (not so patiently) waited in her classroom for her to finish marking. Almost every shopping trip, I saw her pop a book into her basket which would be good for her classroom’s book corner.

Lesson: Just because your job’s hard work, doesn’t mean you can’t love it.

2. My main PGCE mentor
I was lucky enough that my PGCE mentor not only the head of PGCE course, but also a force to be reckoned with. The mannerisms which I watched with awe in my first weeks of my PGCE placement are now part of who I am as a teacher. She applied her firm but fair approach to her pupils and to me, making sure that, even though I may have briefly wallowed in bad lessons, I never let them defeat me.

Lesson: Bad lessons do not define you. Build on them.

3. My second placement PGCE mentor
My NQT year was a maternity cover and, in the summer term of that year, I found out, as the new leadership were not aware of me, it probably would not be renewed. I was willing to quietly slip into the background and lose a job at a school I loved because I didn’t believe I was worth keeping. Completely independently, my mentor knocked on the executive head’s door and requested that he observed me. Because of my mentor’s belief in me, I’m still at the same school, I still love my job and I’m now mentoring a PGCE student of my own.

Lesson: You are better than you think you are.

4. My first head of department
My NQT year was a rough learning curve, both in terms of teaching and navigating the office politics of a swiftly transforming school. Even if it potentially put her in the firing line, my first head of department stood firmly by my side, whatever happened. I didn’t stay at my first school for very long, but my HOD showed me how a good leader keeps a team together, even when things get tough.

Lesson: The little things you do for your team mean more than you think.

5. My third head of department
Two years into my teaching career, I thought I had it sussed and, frankly, I think I was happy as a teacher who looked effective but got mediocre results. My third head of department encouraged me to read as many teaching books as possible, opening my eyes to the world of pedagogy and cognitive science. Her sky high aspirations of herself and her pupils get amazing results and, pedagogically, she is who I aspire to be.

Lesson: Strive for excellence in yourself and in your pupils. You can always develop.

6. My colleagues
I’m not exactly a social butterfly. Over the last two years, I’ve formed a strong friendship with two of my colleagues from other departments. This bond was something I didn’t know I needed until I had it. It may not seem like much, but someone popping into my room for a chat at the end of a hard day has made those hard days so much more manageable.

Lesson: No one is an island. Support doesn’t make you weak.

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