What’s the best thing about teaching?
There are many amazing things about teaching. The aspect I enjoy the most is being in front of the classroom and seeing the day to day impact you're having on so many different young people's lives. The rapport you build with staff, students and the wider community really makes you feel that you're doing worthwhile and fulfilling work on a daily basis.
Why did you decide to enter teaching?
When I completed my degree in business and information systems at the University of Derby, I had no intention of working in teaching. I began a career in data analysis. A friend of mind had recently started a PGCE and was telling me how much she was enjoying teaching.
Then, while I was working as an analyst, two children came in for work experience and I was asked to support them for those two weeks. It was during that time that I realised how much I enjoy supporting and teaching young people.
I continued to ask my friend about the profession and the following September I applied to do my teacher training at Nottingham Trent University.
What’s been your proudest moment in teaching?
There was one particular year where the department had some staffing challenges. This could have significantly impacted the grades of our Year 11s and 13s. I was so proud to support the head of department in working hard with those students to ensure they weren't impacted by the sudden change in teachers.
The genuine gratitude from the head of department, senior leadership, students and their families further highlighted the importance of the work we do.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your teaching career?
I can't pinpoint one challenge that overshadows others. I think the day to day variety of the job, which can be one of the best things, can also be a big challenge. When supporting young people, there are always variables beyond your control.
It took me a while to appreciate how important it was to me to ensure my students were successfully progressing within my lesson, and realise I was a much smaller aspect of that young person's life. On many occasions, so many things have happened prior to the lesson in the children’s lives you teach, that it's hard to ensure they make as much progress as you expect.
It's important to remember this and give yourself a break as a teacher. You can only do what you can do in the time you have. Once I shifted my mindset to consider the big picture, I found that my wellbeing improved and I enjoyed the job much more.
What celebrity best represents you as a teacher in the classroom and why?
I used to joke with a friend when I was teacher training that I’d be like Dr Cox from Scrubs. He was sarcastic and surly but beneath the rough exterior it was clear he cared.
Flash forward to when I actually started teaching and I realised I was much more like JD from scrubs. JD was socially awkward, over analysed everything and although he wanted to be the best, he was clearly a deer in headlights.
I’d like to think that I'm somewhere between the two characters. I’m a little less deer in headlights, a bit sarcastic and still quite dorky!
What do you use Tes for?
I rely on Tes resources to add a bit more umph to my lessons, the blogs around effective teaching practice and, of course, the jobs section.
One of the aspects of Tes I'm impressed by the most is the teacher development programmes they run through Tes Institute. I’ve had the privilege of working as a Straight to Teaching pathway tutor and QTS assessor since 2018.
As a pathway tutor I've supported fantastic classroom practitioners to gain their QTS qualification. Through Tes Institute's well-structured and informative resources, I've seen so many teachers I’ve worked with develop their learning theories and apply it to the classroom with great success. Tes institute makes every effort to keep up to date with the most impactful teaching strategies and stirkes that perfect balance between development and learner wellbeing.
Every development in the Straight to Teaching programme is done for the betterment of their learners, to ensure they are the best classroom practitioners they can be. It's a genuine highlight of my job to be able to meet and work with such passionate professionals who are the future of teaching.
If you were telling a friend about Tes, what would you say?
I’d say Tes is ubiquitous in teaching. It's always there in the background. That friend would likely ask me explain what that means. I’d tell them that Tes is a one stop shop to all things teaching but presented in a way that is accessible, inviting and enjoyable. The word community encompasses it best I believe.
What’s the biggest thing you’d like Tes to help teachers with more?
I’m an advocate for sharing the human aspect of teaching. As important as it is for teachers to develop their own practice and keep up to date with teaching strategies, I’d like to see this delivered in a more personable way. Perhaps through podcasts or light-hearted conversations with teachers but not necessarily solely about teaching.
Essentially it would be great if Tes could bottle the funny, interesting and at times poignant conversations you hear in a school staff room. It’s very rare in life you're in a room with so many intelligent, empathetic experts in their field, so to hear what they have to say about life would be really interesting.
You/your school gets a million pounds. What do you spend it on?
Edtech, edtech and more edtech.
One piece of advice or top tip you’d give someone just entering teaching today?
Never sell yourself short. Everyone gets into this profession for a reason and to some degree a passion. It's important during those really tough times of the year not to forget that. But it's also important to think about how much you've developed as a teacher, a professional and a human being because of your experience as a teacher.
There are so many incredible, transferable skills you're developing on a daily basis. Be sure to remember and appreciate them.
Baasit now runs his own Educational Consultancy business called Siddiqui Education. Find out more here.
