So, I'm this close to qualifying as a teacher, and I thought it was important to publish life before it passes me by.
I've been on the graduate training programme route into teaching for the last 10 months, and I'm nearly at final assessment. How's it been? Haaard! Why? Well, that's a hard one too, but I think the reason will be one familiar to many who work in and around education. There's a massive gap between reality and expectation.
As you train, you realise that no matter how good a teacher you are, you will never be able to meet all the standards expected of you according to the QTS standards, Every Child Matters, or any one of dozens of government initiatives, well-meaning guidance or local authority policies. Experienced teachers tell me that teaching is like spinning plates: you never have time to do anything properly, but you hope to fail in rotation as it were, to spend a fair amount of time on each task, but accept that this is inadequate.
Of course, when you train formally, you get the opposite message: plan each lesson carefully, be familiar with all the legislation, know all the frameworks, standards, initiatives, guidelines etc etc etc.
Teaching is a great profession, no question, but you have to see through the training as soon as you can!
