I'm so excited to be launching a new blog feature, all based around celebrating positivity in schools: The Positive Teacher Feature! In each post, we'll be featuring a fellow positive teacher and asking them to tell us all about themselves, their practice and to just celebrate our fabulous profession!
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Thank you to Lois Jowett, also known as Display Lady, who is inspiring teachers across the world with her amazing displays and classroom positivity. I've been following Lois for a while now and being very local to me, she was a perfect choice for our very first teacher feature post.
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I’ve just taken on a new role as assistant head and leading lower key stage 2! I’m enjoying taking on the new challenge as I’ve now been teaching in primary for 8 years and I even dabbled in secondary (that was not for me). I have been an assessment leader for the last 2 year and SLE for reading for roughly a year! I just keep adding to my jobs list but I love it! For the last 2 years, I have taught year 6 and I really enjoyed that (I know, shocking). I enjoy the challenge of the curriculum at that age and I really enjoy supporting them through their most important year of education so far! Most of my teaching career has been in lower key stage 2 and I love year 4 so I’m happy to be back there this year for my new role.
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Why did you get into teaching?
I was definitely inspired by other teachers! I had 2 very different, but equally amazing teachers, who inspired me to become a teacher. One was my high school RE teacher Mrs Davis. She always made things come to life and was just a genuinely good and caring person (I actually got to work with her when I did my stint at high school which was so wonderful). My other was actually my English tutor! She taught at my high school too but she didn’t teach me. She was so creative and she really unlocked my creative writing potential! She’s so inspiring and now advocates for women’s rights. She also writes poetry and other things! .
What are your top tips for positivity and excitement within your role?
Make sure you’re excited about what you’re teaching! I know when I’m not excited I’m not going to sell it to the kids. I definitely think acting is part of teaching and you have to be a little enthusiastic at least! Teaching definitely has its challenges and difficulties but you have to keep sight of why you do what you do. When your class do you proud it really makes my teacher heart happy! As you may know, I love a good display! I really enjoy making the learning environment a lovely place to be for the children and that really drives me to make it better and better!
Make sure you’re excited about what you’re teaching! I know when I’m not excited I’m not going to sell it to the kids. I definitely think acting is part of teaching and you have to be a little enthusiastic at least! Teaching definitely has its challenges and difficulties but you have to keep sight of why you do what you do. When your class do you proud it really makes my teacher heart happy! As you may know, I love a good display! I really enjoy making the learning environment a lovely place to be for the children and that really drives me to make it better and better!
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Looking back, what advice would you give your NQT/Trainee self?
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What's the best thing about being a teacher?
It has to be when a child makes progress and you smile at them and they smile back. It really is the lightbulb moment or the moment they grow as a person and just do lovely things and are good humans to one another!
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Just for fun...Would you rather sing in front of the whole school in assembly or dance at the next governors' meeting?
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Do you love teaching? If you'd like to nominate yourself or another teacher who you think deserves to be featured, please email us at enquiries@thepositiveteachercompany.co.uk. We'd love to hear from you!
