What I wish I knew with Louise Howlett

Louise Howlett has not been teaching long, but she is already an Assistant Headteacher in an outstanding school. What has made her so good, so fast? Probably it's her forensic attention to detail, because Louise had always wanted to be a forensic scientist before catching the teaching bug when helping an excluded boy see that school could really change his life. And that is what has motivated Louise to be the very best teacher she can be for every child. She knows if she does her job really well it changes children's lives, and, believe me, she does it really well.

In this podcast we talk about ...

• The similarities between forensic science and teaching.
• How helping an excluded, vulnerable boy change his life was the moment Louise realised she must become a teacher.
• Why children remember the people who have made a real difference to their lives.
• The fact that it feels like your training hasn’t prepared you for day 1 minute 1 with your first class.
• How a dragon fly helped to break the ice with her first class.
• Telling children they would be fine performing their Y6 play on a very hot day as it was going to be really fanny in the hall.
• How relationships must be built consciously and unconsciously through every action that you do as a teacher.
• Being sick in the classroom bin before her first parents evening as she was concerned she wouldn't know what to say.
• The value of making a folder full of the many positive comments made by children and parents over the years and looking at it after a tough day to remember all the good things that have happened.
• Being a perfectionist is ok but it is not attainable every moment of every day, so accept this and aim to be the best you can be.
• Accepting you can't know everything and know when to stop working.
• Becoming very skilled at prioritising the things that really make a difference to children's learning.