This week I speak to Jude Lennon and Ali Harwood - who are - like myself – former classroom teachers! We talk about our lives post-teaching, the reasons why we left, what we are concerned about in schools today, what we loved about the job, and how we think schools could be better.
You can check out Jude’s work at…. Www.littlelambpublishing.co.uk www.facebook.com/JudeLennonAuthor www.facebook.com/LittleLambTales www.instagram.com/JudeLennonBooks
Ali can be found at… @aliharinsta on Instagram
We chat about
- What Ali and Jude are up to now in the creative world.
- Issues around workload, lack of trust, and declining behaviour in schools.
- The impact of Michael Gove as Education Secretary.
- The limitations of the curriculum and putting children in ‘boxes’.
- Ill health and burn out.
- Mental Health and Depression.
- Losing one’s soul.
- The lack of creativity.
- OFSTED inspections.
- Grade inflation.
- New teachers leaving within five years.
- Systemic failures.
- The suicide of Ruth Perry.
- Constant scrutiny.
- Having no private life.
- Lack of provision for Special Educational Needs and Disabled (SEND) Children.
- How children are fantastic and how some schools are great places.
- Feeling broken.
- The impact of Covid-19.
- Doctors getting sick of signing off teachers!
- The importance of meeting children’s needs and being flexible.
- Being labelled as a failure.
- Being people centred.
- Class size.
- The importance of childhood, creativity and freedom.
- The importance of honesty and transparency in the education system.
- Paying teachers properly
- The impact of austerity and cuts.
- Seeing life beyond teaching.
- And so much more!
Check out our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1dQzS8KBgeT9iA7MAqhQpA - The channel now includes playlists about associated topics.
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Substack - https://timothyshort.substack.com/
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