Tomorrow is my last day as a teacher

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.

I've also done quite a bit as a teacher, developing over 200 lessons' worth of materials, including slides, worksheets and supplementary materials. I have taught my area of expertise in computing and have gone above and beyond expectations in my subject knowledge, for example, when discussing interpreters and compilers or agile methodologies. I have led the school's digital champion program (not at my current school, but it was on the cards) and increased computing numbers (for example, from 8 pupils to 51 in one year). I developed my own slideshow engine, DragonSlides, which allowed pupils to join interactive lessons where they answered questions or completed tasks on the slides as we went through them as a class. I developed DragonDocs, which provided pupils with much more interactive worksheets and assessments. DragonDocs also uses AI-based, context-aware marking to ensure marking is fair and equal for all. 

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.

Me teaching back in 2016