Back to School (Part One)
Today, I return to the classroom after 13 years of being away and I wonder what I'm going to find there
A lot of you may not have known that in a previous life, I was a high school English teacher. It was a job that had its challenges and a lot of them I don't miss at all. But they were good times for me for the most part. I was lucky to have supportive colleagues, now friends, and work in a school which was well led.
It was a time in my life where I felt useful but I found the balance between school and home really difficult. When I decided to go part-time, that feeling worsened as I was torn between being a good mum and being a good teacher and doing neither role very well. I think that a lot of women, no matter what job they do, feel this way.
Eventually, an opportunity to move to Australia came along with my husband's work and we both decided that we would give that a go while our boys were still relatively portable, being so young, and so I left teaching. It was in many ways a sad day where I lost a little of my identity really. When you tell people you are a teacher, it is respected - for the most part.
However, it's not an environment that I've rushed to get back into. It's a hard life, being a teacher, for many reasons. For me, it's what you're expected to do after you've already done a full day that puts me off. So much marking. There is a part of me though that wants to return - to give back, as it were and to help people to achieve their goals or even, just to get somewhere else. Qualifications can do that.
Today, I am returning for a few hours only to observe. I reached out to a local school and they have agreed to have me in to see a couple of lessons.
My reason for writing this is like a before and after. I want to record it. At this moment, I am feeling a little nervous but it is mixed with excitement. I don't feel apprehensive but that may be because I am only a passive participant in today's education excursion. If I was heading up a class again, I might feel differently.
Today is about assessment, which is apt, is it not? I am there to assess whether or not this is something that I can do again and there are certain things that I am going to be looking out for:
- the dynamic between teacher and class
- discipline
- attention span after COVID
- different teaching methods for shorter attention spans
- language focuses - more grammar? more spelling? Where does the onus lie now?
- is it a happy place to be?
I'm not sure what to expect. I am veering between it being very similar to what I've always known to so radically different I feel like a fish out of water. Part of me realises that there will be changes but fundamentally, the principles are going to be the same, surely? Teacher explanation at the front of the class leads to discussion or completion of task? I'm expecting more technology and a more visual approach.
I leave in about 10 minutes. It is unfortunate that the day that was offered me clashes with the day that my youngest goes to France on an exchange trip and so, I am unable to stay for the duration of the full school day. But I am hoping that the time that I am there will provide me with enough of an insight to show me if it is the place that I belong or if those days are well and truly behind me.
About the Creator
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Keep reading
More stories from Rachel Deeming and writers in Education and other communities.
The Dissection of English
I have to admit that I am conscious of how controversial this opinion might sound. It will certainly be viewed as a strange thing for a previous high school English teacher to propose, perhaps even a little subversive but it is something that I have been thinking about for a long time - why does the English government feel it is essential learning for children in primary education to know the components of language?
By Rachel Deeming4 years ago in Education
What It Really Takes to Get a Wikipedia Page Approved in 2026
These days, Wikipedia isn't like the one some folks recall. Back then, an okay article often made it through with just small tweaks. Now things feel tighter, more intense. Every day brings thousands of fresh entries. Most vanish fast, blocked before they stick around. Getting turned down used to be rare. Lately, that's just how it goes.
By Hillshire Media5 days ago in Education
Fly Fishing or Spinning: Choosing the Best Fishing Technique for Your Next Adventure
When planning a fishing trip, one of the first questions many anglers face is whether to use fly fishing or spinning. Both methods are effective, enjoyable, and widely used, but they offer very different experiences. The right choice can shape how successful and enjoyable your trip feels. Understanding how each technique works will help you pick the option that fits your goals, location, and comfort level.
By Jett Harris of Arkansas5 days ago in Education
Comments (18)
Have we got a Part Two? How did it go?! I'm so curious to see what you thought, as a fellow English teacher, especially with all the changes in tech.
I’m sure you would slot back into it all pretty quickly! You’re very capable & would be a fabulous teacher.🤩
Hope it went well - found this so interesting, what a cool opportunity to learn without having to commit to anything, good ont he school and good on you! Looking forward to finding out how it went - well I hope in that it gave you the insight you need to make the best decision for you 💜 I have no doubt that you were and will be a wonderful teacher but as you alluded to - its not the teaching and usually not the students that are problem, its the bonkers workload and the whims off ill-informed governments that cause the issues.
I realize I only know you through your writing and comments, but I feel you would be a phenomenal teacher. Based on the amount of encouraging and support you do with all of the budding authors on Vocal, I can see you being the teacher that changes a student's perspective for the better. You are very good at giving another confidence in their abilities. I'm very eager to hear an update on this.
Well-wrought! I'm sure you were an excellent teacher then and still would be now, but the landscape has certainly changed.
Such a difficult choice! I was a 6th grade English teacher for 18 years. I loved it in the beginning, but the joy went out of it for me, in large part because of the time required just to keep my head above water. Then came 2020. We were sent home with "Good luck!" and little else. In very short order, it became clear that I was not going to make it in the flood of technology we were suddenly drowning in. I do miss the early days, the fun days when I could read to my kids and discuss our reading, and they were engaged. The best of luck to you, whatever your decision. I look forward to your review of what teaching is now.
Very eager to read your reactions to the observation experience! Hopefully it went well!
It will be interesting to see how it feels for you and what you observe. Good luck and well done.
I hope you’ve had a great day Rachel. I should imagine you are a natural in the classroom. My mum was a teacher and I know all the hours she spent working ‘behind the scenes’. Looking forward to hearing how you’ve got on.
Best wishes. Have fun.
By the time you see this, Rachel, you'll be done with your observation and I hope you've made the conclusion about if this is the right thing for you to do. As someone who works with college students (basically, gearing them to be responsible adults), I've always admired secondary school teachers. I'd never have enough patience to work even with high school students. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will do it based on what is best for you and I wish you the best in that, my friend.
Rachel, your reflection is both honest and quietly courageous. Stepping back into the classroom after 13 years isn’t just about observing, it’s about rediscovering a part of yourself once left behind.
Good luck and looking forward to part two! I always give teachers respect for doing something I never ever could do - be around someone else’s unruly children for more than twenty minutes a day and keep a modicum of sanity.
I assume you're not in Australia anymore, and if I had read all your stuff , or my memory was better, I should know this. I hope you liked it. My wife is a nurse, and when we moved out of Sydney to country New South Wales, she was the one who worked while I was home with the little'uns. That was nearly 30 years ago, and while they are all grown up and fine, I know my wife struggled with being away some times. Luckily it was a very chill lifestyle. You make the choice that is right for you. Good luck with your return.
Very good luck, I've always wanted to teach, I know you can do it! Xx
Good luck with it. My daughter is midway through primary now, and I'm surprised by how much seems very different from my childhood. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. Things like teaching assistants - never saw one of them! Funnily enough, I'm off to school myself today. Alicia's school is inviting parents to talk about their careers, so I'm doing a quick explainer of how to get to the Olympics despite being rubbish at sports. It seemed like a good idea when I signed up for it, but right now the prospect of talking to a room full of kids is far from attractive.
The shorter attention span is so real, me included. I wish you all the best. Keep us updated!
I am looking forward to Part Two. Either way it goes you will definitely be making the right choice for you at this point in your life. Good luck, I wish you well.