35 Things I’ve Learnt in 35 Years of Teaching
Honest Lessons for Teachers Who Want to Last
A few years ago, a former student stopped me mid-conversation to tell me I’d been her favourite teacher. It wasn’t the first time something like that had happened, and it got me thinking about everything I’ve picked up across 35 years in the classroom, the lessons nobody puts on a staffroom noticeboard.
This book is 35 of those lessons. Some I learnt the easy way, from a mentor who took the time to show me. Most I learnt the hard way, through a lesson that didn’t work, a conversation that went sideways, or a rule I had to make for my own sake before I burnt out.
What’s inside:
- 35 honest, practical lessons, organised into five parts: On Students, On Teaching Practice, On Myself, On Colleagues, Parents and the Profession, and The Bigger Picture
- Personal stories throughout, including the conversation that inspired this book, and a few I’ve never shared publicly before
- Every lesson follows the same simple structure:
- What I Learnt – the story behind the lesson
- In Practice – how to actually apply it in your own classroom
- Reflect – a question to sit with, on your own or with a colleague
Who it’s for:
- Teachers early in their career, wondering what the next 30 years might look like
- Teachers who feel tired or worn down, and want a reminder of why they started
- Teachers who’ve been at this a long time, and want to see their own experience reflected back at them
- Anyone who’d rather hear the honest, unpolished version of teaching advice than the version written for a staffroom noticeboard
How to use it:
Read it from Lesson 1 to Lesson 35, as one continuous reflection on a life spent teaching. Or keep it close by and dip into whichever lesson meets you where you are this week.
Written by Caroline Dickinson, a NSW teacher with 35 years in the classroom, and the founder of Depth Education.
Instant PDF download. Personal use only, please see full terms inside the book.
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