Tomorrow marks my final day as a teacher. While I'll still be doing some supply teaching over the next few days, this feels very much like the end of a significant chapter in my life.
Looking back over the past eight years, I can honestly say that teaching has been an incredible experience. I've met some fantastic people along the way, worked alongside dedicated colleagues, and had the privilege of teaching so many wonderful young people. There have been countless moments of laughter, pride and genuine joy that I'll carry with me for years to come.
Of course, it hasn't all been easy. Like anyone who has spent time in education will understand, there have been challenges, frustrations and difficult periods that tested me both professionally and personally. Some of those moments brought me down and made me question whether I was on the right path.
Despite that, as I reach the end of this journey, it isn't the challenges that stand out most. Instead, I find myself looking back with a real sense of gratitude and, if I'm honest, a little sadness. Eight years is a long time to devote to something, and teaching has shaped a huge part of who I am.
While I have made the decision to move on, I leave with far more good memories than bad ones. I'm thankful for the people I've met, the lessons I've learned, and the experiences that have helped me grow. As one chapter closes and another begins, I'll always look back on my time in teaching fondly.
As I posted on my Bluesky account earlier this afternoon, I'm now using GitHub Actions to automate the deployment of ZPEX, native ZPE plugins and the plugin bridge for ZPE.
Not only does this mean they're easier to build since I don't need to maintain three machines to compile on, but it also means deployment is smoother and more continuous integration. On top of that, ZPEX, native plugins and bridge updates are all automatically pushed to my website (or, for the bridge, pushed into the next version of ZPE).
The goal over the next few weeks is to ensure tight integration of the new GUI and the new plugin system with both ZPE and ZPEX. I also intend to build every ZPE plugin this way over the next few days, especially since it's now so easy and automated.
