Four years ago, this week, six Teach First teachers decided to expose themselves emotionally and professionally in front of the general public. Generous support was received, together with some vitriol, as they tried their best to help young people achieve bright futures. That show was Tough Young Teachers.

And I was one of the teachers (far right, above).

Now, whether you hold Teach First in high regard or in low contempt, one has to recognise that we all wanted to make a difference. Four of us stayed in the classroom longer than we might have expected to. We set out eager-eyed, blindly unaware of the challenges that awaited us and - as I know, only too well - we stumbled often. But behind that naivety was mission-driven people hoping to address the inequity that exists in our country. 

Teachers together

Right now, the sector is facing its toughest challenges: low retention, recruitment shortages, and squeezed budgets, to name a few, as well as new government leadership, which, as we’ve seen, invokes fear.

So the only way forward is: together.

More than ever, unity within our disparate profession is required. As I’ve mentioned in previous pieces, division can be found in the most unlikely of places, but it does exist. Some of the education community’s reactions to Tough Young Teachers made me feel aghast at the cruelty of people who were, like us, staring at a kid’s homework at midnight scrambling to find something to write in “What Went Well”.

If we’re spending time debasing or fighting with each other, we’re not writing to our MPs, or at Teach Meets, or working with businesses, or non-profits, to make a difference to our communities.

Spreading the word

If teaching is to be celebrated as it should be, for the commitment of people to creating futures and changing lives, current teachers and ambassadors of the profession should be only seen to be working together to make it better. And, remember, it’s not just teachers reading your tweets: we must bring to an end the tort of Twitter scraps.

Four years on and I continue to shout about the value of teaching and the positives of my experiences to continue the mission I set out to achieve by participating in the show. If eyes were opened to the challenges that teachers face every day, or if ambitious young grads decided to embark a journey into teaching, then it was worth sobbing in the bathroom in front of millions. 

I may no longer be tough, or young - but as they say, once a teacher, always a teacher. 

Oliver Beach is a former inner-city teacher and Teach First ambassador. He tweets @olivermbeach

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