I’ve written posts like this before, declarations of returning to blogging, promises to share thoughts with the wider world. This time feels different, though, and I have a decent excuse. Over the past year, I’ve been immersed in the final module of my MSc in Leadership.

This culminated in a 15,000-word dissertation based on original research. I won’t say much more until I know the results, except if I fail, I’ll be genuinely disappointed. It’s been a long time since I’ve worked that intensely on something academic.

Between teaching full-time, leading school improvement projects, and wrestling with that dissertation, there simply hasn’t been time for reflection or writing. Now that it’s over, I find myself with space to think again.

So here I am, returning to this digital space. The intention is to engage with ideas about education and where it’s heading, for both students and staff. Honestly, this is as much for me as anyone else. Writing forces me to think things through properly. Without this motivator, I get caught up in the day-to-day and lose sight of the theory behind what we do. Staying current and improving your craft while actively teaching is a real challenge.

This is the part non-teachers struggle to understand: how absolutely consuming teaching is. You’re in front of a class all day, constantly reading the room, meeting the individual needs of however many students you have. You’re trying to motivate, advance their learning, help them navigate relationships and personal growth, all while being acutely aware that there’s always more you could be doing. It’s exhausting. Rewarding, yes, but mainly exhausting when you’re fully engaged in the work.

My intention is to post weekly, though once I’m back in the swing of the school term, it might stretch to fortnightly. We’ll see how it goes.

Let’s start the conversation.