A Change of Home

I first began teaching 2 and a half years ago, joining the Teach First programme and being placed in my school, Prendergast Ladywell School, in Lewisham. Knowing that as part of the programme I would be in my school for a minimum of 2 years, plus my personality of being habitual and not liking change, I began my first term with the mentality that I would treat my school like my home. I would decorate my classroom (see the next post for more details – especially as I might be spending up to 11 and a half hours a day in my room!), establish some good routines, and most importantly, build some good relations with the staff, and more importantly, the kids.

And I did. Even over only 2 and a half years my room was decked out with barely any wall space visible, (and like home, a Christmas tree during the festive season each year). I was part of a good department and good group of friends among staff, and had some good, though took a while to develop, relationships with some of the pupils, particularly my tutor group who I had for the entire duration of my time.

However this Christmas has brought a change, and I have now left the school in which I had settled and made home, and am setting out on a new adventure to become Head of Geography and Business Studies at Bonus Pastor Catholic College.

In my entire life I have moved home 3 times, once to University Halls (and believe me the amount of stuff I took it was like moving home!) out of halls and into a small terraced house in Southsea during my 2^nd and 3^rd of Uni, and then finally up to Gravesend in Kent where I now live. And each time I remember having a feeling of excitement, about a new exploration and adventure, and the chance to establish some new routines, relationships and decorate a new place; but I also remember feeling a little pang as I left the old behind. Taking down the posters from my uni wall, losing contact with some of the people I knew, old friends, colleagues etc, old routines all left a hole. And I hope that, as I left, a hole was left in that place too and the place changed (as any good geographer would no doubt study about).

Leaving my school at the end of this last term has been very similar. I packed all my room of Geography posters, globes, maps and rocks and cleared the filing cabinet. I said goodbye to some amazing friends and colleagues who have trained and supported me over the last 2 years.

But the hardest of all was saying goodbye to the kids. I struggled to tell them of my decision to leave, and didn’t so much as tell them, but as any good teacher does, gave them a hint and a problem and let them work it out for themselves. Once they knew it became even harder, particularly when with my Year 11 Geographers and tutor group who I would be leaving at such a critical time.

Now yes to some extent we as individuals are important to the kids lives as teachers, in that I was my tutor groups form tutor, writing college references etc, and to my Year 11s I was their GCSE Geography teacher, and whilst that is important, those are replaceable. The Pastoral Manager for my old year group can write some of their references, and there is an outstanding Geography teacher taking my place. However one thing profoundly hit me, said to me by one of my Year 11s in all seriousness was, “Sir, I’m going to miss you because you’re like a big brother, you’re always here”. And other comments like “Sir we know we can come to you,” “Sir, we know we know you’ll help us out” showed me the real important thing that we can do as teachers, is not just to teach our subject well, and help our pupils to achieve well, but is to sometimes just be there for them. I’ve worked in an inner city Lewisham school with over 60% FSM, and it’s showed me how much kids can rely on us as teachers for their stability, their support, and just regular routines. Always being there, having the same high expectations but equally being able to draw alongside them, caring for them and have a laugh.

I’ve had some awesome times with the kids that I’ve taught over the last 2 years, both in the classroom achieving some good grades, but also outside. I remember being with my tutor group at the London Dungeons and being petrified with the kids and us joking about it later. I’ve been up to the Lake District with some of them when they’ve climbed their first mountain and seen their first cow, or their first time diving into the sea whilst on the North Kent Coast.

A change of home can mean moving away from friends and family, and as a teacher this move has reminded me just how important we can sometimes be to lives of the kids who we not only teach, but support and care for.

I can’t wait to start at my new school, and will post about my experiences during my training and reasons for leaving, and how my first couple of weeks go. And I look forward to decorating my new classroom, establishing new routines, developing new friends and relationships both with staff and kids. But I will always have a hole from my first school and those who I’ve worked with and taught there. And would urge all teachers to remember how important our pastoral work is alongside our academic teaching.