Two years after qualifying as a teacher, Sarah progressed to Head of Biology – and since then, she has continued to climb the career ladder. Here, she tells us how she got to where she is today, and offers advice to others looking to progress quickly in teaching.
"From an early age, I knew a teaching career was for me. I could not imagine working a typical nine to five desk job. Every day in teaching brings a new challenge and new situations, which is what makes the job so exciting. Undeniably, teaching is hard work – but the knowledge that you have helped to motivate young people and helped shape their future brings more satisfaction than any other job I can think of."
"The best part of teaching is being in front of my 32 students and seeing how my passion for the subject I teach rubs off on them. When they have those 'light bulb' moments, hearing the sudden 'So that's how it works!' and seeing your pupils take your subject into A-level and beyond makes the job so worthwhile."
"For anyone looking to make swift career progression in the teaching profession, I would recommend hard work, maintaining your love for the job, and a want to bring about positive change to young people's lives"
"I am extremely proud of my teaching achievements and career progression so far. After gaining newly qualified teacher (NQT) status, I was quickly promoted to Head of Biology after two years of teaching. The encouragement and support from my Head of Faculty really helped; they saw the potential in me and I'm so grateful for that opportunity."
"With my leadership skills, my department has gone from strength to strength. We have managed to increase uptake of students from a class of 20 A-level students to 50. This was a great achievement, and I could not have done this without the support of my colleagues and the leadership courses I attended."
"I also act as Teaching and Learning Mentor, which allows me to work with staff from all departments to enhance and develop their teaching and learning. I love being able to work with teachers of all backgrounds, experienced to newly qualified, sharing good practice and developing whole-school strategies. I am currently facilitating an NQT leadership programme for teachers across the borough, which I am thoroughly enjoying."
"For anyone looking to make swift progression in the teaching profession, I would recommend hard work, maintaining your love for the job, and a want to bring about positive change to young peoples' lives."