Rows of chairs are tilted forward, their occupants gazing adoringly up at you with scintillated smiles and rounded, curious eyes, as you wax lyrical about your favourite topic.
Rapt, the students hang on every word, making frantic notes in their orderly, well-presented books. Sighing as the bell rings, they calmly pack up and leave, thanking you for the fantastic lesson as they trot out to break.
This is what I imagined teaching would be like. I learnt rather quickly this was a fantasy.
My own experience as a student attending an independent girls’ school (where there was no such thing as detention!) did not prepare me for the reality of teaching in a mixed comprehensive in modern Britain.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here