Detour Ahead

In life we encounter many detours on the road to our destination. Some are unexpected and unavoidable which is part of life like a road closure. Others are intentional. These are the ones that we make like a career change. Over the course of 3 years, I have made one of the most intentional detours ahead which has also led to an unexpected detour.

My first teaching detour occurred after eight years at one primary school. I had a desire to move into a Learning Specialist role. I loved the idea of being a middle leader where I was on the ground doing the same work while also being part of the leadership team and having an impact on school development. After applying numerous times, I wasn’t successful in achieving this, So I made an intentional detour into Special Education to challenge myself and up skill my knowledge around supporting students with additional learning needs.

This detour was many things. It was exciting and challenging. It was frustrating and beautiful. But most of all, It was a blessing. I felt like I was graduate again, learning how to modify activities and cater for sensory needs for students and this was also a blessing because I needed that circuit breaker. I was in a position of leadership and still having an impact in modelling lessons and developing programs in role that was only 50% of the time in the classroom. But then after two years, an unexpected event led to another intentional detour.

At the end of this year, I started to miss being in the classroom full time. I missed forming those relationships and I wanted to make a greater impact on student learning and after being informed that my role as a middle leader wasn’t going to continue, I took an opportunity to return to the classroom full time in a school I have long coveted to work in for 2022.

I haven’t given up on my destination of being a middle leader again. But whilst I am on this forced path, I am embracing the opportunity to showcase what I have learnt and rediscover my own teaching identity.

So to all the educators out there who are in a unexpected detour or those who intended it: Embrace the opportunity and adapt and create a positive out of something negative.

After all, every detour can be an amazing road trip!