So…. I have started this post at least four times over the past couple of months, but things just kept getting in the way! School related stuff, like planning, marking etc; socialising (I actually maintained my social life this term to an extent! I know, shock!); and most importantly spending time with my better half… we have now moved in together and are relishing every moment. This has also been amplified by the sheer exhaustion that is definitely more of a personality trait than a feeling!

I have decided to write two blog posts about the first term. This first one is going to be about strategies I have put in place that have worked for me this term, and the second one will be more focused on my classes and teaching and learning.

The first thing I would like to state is not only have I made it through my first term as an NQT, but I have loved (nearly) every second of it! After having a significant amount of low points (well hidden) last year, I was completely anxious about starting in September – mainly because the move from PGCE to NQT means a complete shift in responsibility and suddenly I was acutely aware that all these students will be dependant on me and me alone! I am still waiting for that overwhelming moment where I am consumed with doubt, stress or failure – it hasn’t hit yet and I am calling that a win!

One of the main things to help me this year, is to make sure I am prioritising myself. It is so much easier working on my time and not having to wait for another teacher to hear my ideas – if I want to go off the scheme of work slightly then I do! I have been giving myself the equivalent of two days off a week minimum. As much as I could live and breathe teaching, I am very aware that that is not healthy – it is necessary to have a life outside of school! One of my lovely colleagues has invited me down to the yard on Tuesdays after school, and it has been so therapeutic being able to spend some time around horses – something that I have not done for a very long time! Having something booked in every week as helped me focus and get my work done, so I don’t miss out on the fun!

Using the shared resources more is something that has also been ridiculously helpful. My planning time has been halved – there were so many boxes to tick last year, it often felt like all I was doing was ‘reinventing the wheel’ – even though that is what we were told not to do! I have contributed the odd idea to the department, but in using what is already there, I have saved myself a lot of valuable time. Marking has also taken up less time. I have managed to work out what I am marking and when so that I don’t have a lot to do in one go – I have even left myself with none for the half term which is a complete blessing.

But, finally, the main thing that has been helping me is the support I have around me. As mentioned earlier, I have recently moved in with my partner and he has gone above and beyond to make sure that I have a stress free life… well as stress free as it can be! He is so good to me and I am very fortunate… I know that he is definitely value added to my mental wellbeing staying in the positive! The other big support system is the school I am at, specifically the fantastic English department. I have got a lot of amazing friends in some brilliant teachers, that have let me observe them, shared resources with me and above all, let me know that everything I am feeling is normal! It is normal to have a class that drive you insane, it is normal to get annoyed by teenagers, it is normal to feel overwhelmed at times, it is normal to have to scrap your original lesson because the students aren’t making progress. They always have something positive to say to me and I will be forever grateful for their help both now and in my first placement.

Finished reading

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories – Ken Liu 

Jack the Ripper – Paul Rigg & John Bennett

Macbeth – William Shakespeare 

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor – Adam Kay

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeymoon 

The Testaments – Margaret Atwood

Cracking India – Bapsi Sidhwa