Apologies for the clickbaity title! My very first blog, published on April 1st 2020, was as good a beginning to a blog by a teacher as I could have come up with. September was a fluffy, upbeat, optimistic account of that first month in the classroom, reflecting how I felt about it at the timeContinue reading “Why I won’t be adding to my series revisiting my NQT year”
Author Archives: onequietteacher
Holding out for a hero – Representation at just the right time
I’ve been totally obsessed with Vigil for its whole duration. It’s no secret that I love a good police procedural drama, with my past viewing history including Inspector Morse, Lewis, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, Sherlock, Death in Paradise and the first two series (so far) of Line of Duty. I was drawn intoContinue reading “Holding out for a hero – Representation at just the right time”
One Drop in the Ocean
It’s been a while since I put pen to paper (99% of my blogs start with paper drafts, or at least rough handwritten notes) and, much like every other time I’ve left a hiatus of note between posts, a lot has changed. Usually, my idea of change is ‘just’ the internal sort, and I’m usedContinue reading “One Drop in the Ocean”
Sunday Shelf Vol. 6
Half-Year Reading Roundup As of 30th June 2021 (how have we reached the second half of the year already?) I’ve read 25 books since New Year’s Day. I’m an avid reader, as regulars to the blog will recognise, but for the last three years my book total per year has stalled around 35 titles forContinue reading “Sunday Shelf Vol. 6”
NQT/ECT Advice #4
How to prepare for a supply teacher I studied at university for three years to become a teacher, (‘become a teacher’ on paper at least, I wouldn’t say I’m there yet!) and not once did this topic come up in taught sessions, lectures or even in conversation – we just never thought about it! ButContinue reading “NQT/ECT Advice #4”
Looking to get lost
The (unintentional) break I took away from blogging left me with plenty of time to immerse myself in all sorts – that’s how I judge how good something is, I think. If I can forget the rest of the world while I’m consuming it, if I can slip into that world and feel at homeContinue reading “Looking to get lost”
Que Sera, Sera – Hang In There
When I started writing blogs, more than twelve months ago now, I never would have suspected it would lead me here. First, that people would read it, and like to read it, too! Second, that I would make wonderful friends as a result of (quietly) shouting my thoughts into the great abyss of the internet!Continue reading “Que Sera, Sera – Hang In There”
The Death Of A Bookshop
Part 1: A resolution to be more sustainable I recently read a book about books. Or, more accurately, a book about selling books. ‘The Diary Of A Bookseller’ by Shaun Bythell is a read I’d recommend for a number of reasons. It made me finally watch ‘Black Books’, a Channel 4 comedy I’d been hoardingContinue reading “The Death Of A Bookshop”
Student Teacher Tips – English
English is my favourite core subject to teach: as a student, I loved my uni sessions and found it so exciting to apply what I’d learned to placement experiences, alongside my own long-standing passion for the subject. However, I was as student with others who felt completely oppositely to me: they loved maths for itsContinue reading “Student Teacher Tips – English”
When It’s Not “Just” Blue Monday
“Blue Monday” is the name given to the third Monday of the year, the day dubbed the most depressing on the entire calendar. In other words, it’s one of the few days of the year when it’s socially acceptable, cool, even, to use the word depression to describe how you’re feeling. For those of usContinue reading “When It’s Not “Just” Blue Monday”
Sunday Shelf Vol. 5
2020 Reading Roundup Since January 2018, I have recorded every book I have completed, with a few notes of what I thought about each one. My reading journal now has three years’ worth of notes, quotes and musings around the literature I’ve consumed. I read thirty-seven books in 2020. (In case anyone’s interested, I readContinue reading “Sunday Shelf Vol. 5”
Don’t Call Me Fragile
This blog post has been a very long time coming. I’ve hesitated, paused, rethought and rewritten, always afraid that I would cause offence by publishing it. Because this post is going to call people out, and if I’ve written it right, it might make others uncomfortable with their own language choices around the subject ofContinue reading “Don’t Call Me Fragile”
Under The Same Stars
Here we are, back in lockdown again… I’ll resist the urge to get all political and go on a rant, I promise! As you’ll know if you’ve read my NQT year blogs (an ongoing project) I am an avid journaller, writing every day if I can. While being invaluable for recounting my NQT experiences, it’sContinue reading “Under The Same Stars”
My Presence is Not Like Yours
In defence of the Quiet Teacher I’ve written about being introverted before (I am not ideal) and about supporting introverted and shy pupils (Empowering the Quiet Ones.) It shouldn’t feel like such a niche topic to write about: according to introvert guru Susan Cain, 30 to 50% of people show introverted traits and would likelyContinue reading “My Presence is Not Like Yours”
Whose voices should we hear?
Thoughts on Bullying This blog is in response to the Priti Patel bullying scandal that has swept through UK news recently. I’m not a politician and won’t pretend to know the ins and outs of the situation – like any other member of the public, the view I have has been formed of what I’veContinue reading “Whose voices should we hear?”
A New Challenge: Teaching in Early Years
This blog was originally published by True Education Partnerships. You can read it on their site instead by following this link (though if you do, please consider coming back here to leave a comment on it!) I spent the summer term and summer holidays trawling every search I could think of, in search of aContinue reading “A New Challenge: Teaching in Early Years”
December
It’s such a long time since I’ve written one of these blog posts, revisiting my NQT year with an eye to finding something useful to share! When I flicked through my diaries to find what I wrote in December, I wasn’t sure how any of it could become something useful to an up-and-coming NQT. ThoughContinue reading “December”
Finding My Voice
So, this happened… On Wednesday morning, I recorded a podcast with the wonderful Toria from Teaching Others and Learning All the Time. She has made it her mission to raise tiny voices from the Twitterverse, to help us be heard and to make our stories known. One of those stories is mine. My URL aloneContinue reading “Finding My Voice”
Sunday Shelf, Vol. 4
Three Recent Reads Something I did a whole lot of in lockdown, not surprisingly, was reading. There were plenty of times when I needed an escape from the stressful scenario we found ourselves in (arguably, that we haven’t left yet!) and my crammed bookshelves were the ideal respite. So for this Sunday Shelf, I thoughtContinue reading “Sunday Shelf, Vol. 4”
Sunday Shelf, Vol. 3
August 9th – Book Lovers’ Day Through the beauty of my twitter trends list this morning, I found out that today is Book Lovers’ Day (known as National Book Lovers’ Day in the USA.) This is a day that screamed out for me to make a return to writing a Sunday Shelf post! I amContinue reading “Sunday Shelf, Vol. 3”
Empowering the Quiet Ones
When ’empowerment’ emerged as a theme for the #DailyWritingChallenge, I thought long and hard about it. I feel as though I have been empowered by this blog, sharing pieces of myself with every entry I post and making connections with new people who have been affected by the things I have written. But this time,Continue reading “Empowering the Quiet Ones”
Are Treadmills Over-rated?
I’m in a weird in-between stage in my life, and I don’t know if I like it. Actually, I think my family would attest to me not liking it very much, considering how much I’ve moaned about it lately! All my life, my next step has been predetermined and secure. I have always known whatContinue reading “Are Treadmills Over-rated?”
Resolve
Or, keeping calm and carrying on I have been fairly resilient for a long time. Setback after setback has tried to stop me living my dream, but here I am, the end of my NQT year a hair’s breadth from my grasp. I had rather hoped that my crusade of forced resilience might come toContinue reading “Resolve”
#DailyWritingChallenge – Stillness
I have craved stillness all week. A classroom is not the best setting when temperatures are rising, and the movement required of teaching Year Ones, even in a bubble, is not the most comfortable thing in the world when outdoor temperatures are high. But the real stillness I’ve wanted has been mental rather than physical:Continue reading “#DailyWritingChallenge – Stillness”
I am not ideal.
I am not ideal. Let me unpack that, because in its stark brevity it may be jarring, despite its truth. The terms ‘extrovert’ and ‘introvert’ to describe the two ends of the personality spectrum are relatively new, having been popularised almost 100 years ago by Carl Jung. But the predisposition towards one or the other,Continue reading “I am not ideal.”
One Quiet Teacher 