*I originally created these posts for the micro-blogging education site Staffrm, which shut down mid-2017. I wanted to re-share these early forays into the blogging world but have not edited any of these posts from their original form. *
I've been a fan of twitter since starting my own personal count back in 2009 but only recently separated my professional tweeting (@educatingholmes) and haven’t looked back since. It was here that I first saw the countless pictures of mugs with a distinct red logo on it – I had stumbled across @Staffrm. I've been contemplating my first Staffrm post since joining a few months ago. I've enjoyed reading some fantastic posts from other Staffrm’ers and decided it was about time I contributed too. I'm generally a pretty confident guy but, just like a kid’s first day or walking into the staffroom at lunch in front of a group who've worked together for years, it can be a surprisingly nervy experience posting here for the first time so please bear with me. Currently I’m in my training year as part of the Teach First programme. Wait, I know some of you will want to stop reading now; Teach First definitely divides opinion just as any ‘new’ initiative can do (TF is just over a decade old). Some of you will have come into contact with TFers, others won’t and your opinion is likely to have been formed by the people you have come into contact with. I’m not naïve enough to assume two years into the job I’ll be the finished article. What does the ‘finished article’ even look like? I'm definitely not there yet, and I’m not sure any of my colleagues, TF or otherwise, regardless of experience would suggest they are either. What I do know is that I'm better than I was when I started back in September. I’m always willing to learn and ask questions – that’s one of the reason’s I joined the Staffrm – and hopefully I’ll be better next week than I am now. Lots of TFers I know are in a similar boat – we know we've a lot to learn and have a lot of responsibility for this stage in our career but with a bit of guidance we’re more than willing to work hard to improve and contribute as best we can to the profession we've decided to enter – however long individuals decide to stay actively teaching. Throughout the rest of the year I intend to make the most of the opportunities presented to me. I’ll be learning on the job, but then aren't we all? From the frustrations of the everyday job to the pressures of government and curriculum change, teaching can be a tough profession. Far more so than many of our friends who aren't involved in education will ever believe or understand (especially when you take those long holidays into account, right?). By expanding our community, sharing good practice and helping each other learn can go a long way to easing those pressures, which I why I joined the Staffrm. For now that’s all from me. Hopefully there are others out there who can relate to this post so please share, connect and get in touch.
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