At a TEDx hosted by LBS, mid last year, Lucy Kellaway shared why she started a Now Teach movement, encouraging senior professionals to throw away their old lives as very successful corporate professionals to join her and become trainee teachers in local comprehensive schools in inner London.

1. Now Teach Movement, Lucy Kellaway
At a TEDx hosted by LBS, mid last year, Lucy Kellaway shared why she started a Now Teach movement,
encouraging senior professionals to throw away their old lives as very successful corporate professionals to join her
and become trainee teachers in local comprehensive schools in inner London.
Lucy Kellaway, an FT columnist, actually refers to herself fondly as FT’s chief BS correspondent. For 32 years has
written about whatever she likes, referring to her weekly column as a “cushy job”. Her perceptions, writing and
insight are crisp, refreshing, thoughtful, no nonsense, and wonderful to read. Thankfully, she still contributes.
Why Teach? a realization that after 30 odd years in the same profession, there’s no longer a learning curve. This
coupled with the feeling of not doing it any better (in her own view). A reflection of her mum’s days as a well-
respected teacher at Camden school for girls in the 1970’s. Perhaps, it’s simply a desire to want to do something
useful, something with meaning.
Teaching is bruising, it’s brutal, you’re like the ‘pied piper leading all those people to their slaughter’. Which is what
she was told when she first raised the idea.
Lucy teamed up with Katie Waldegrave, a social entrepreneur and part of the very successful British government
initiative “teach first”, which encouraged bright graduates to become teachers, and together they formed Now
Teach.
Thousands of applications were received, of which 46 were selected as ‘trainee teachers’, all with life experience,
industry contacts and resilience. Perhaps, like Lucy, looking for meaning / self - actualization, in a Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs, sort of way.
After being a math’s trainee teacher for several months, initially being told by one of her students that she’s hated,
constantly asked “when’s Mr.… coming back?”, “when are you leaving miss?”, her accent questioned (for being
too posh) ...
She reflects on what it means to be a teacher.
“Delightful place where in just six weeks I have made firm friends with staff and liked the spirited kids”.
Noting the value in saying “Pens down in five, four, three, two and one”, rather than “In five, four, three, two,
one, pens down”, as kids get confused.
Having a meaningful exchange with “my year 10 class... they all seemed to grasp what I was teaching them, they
worked in silence, they got through all the work I planned and my modelling on the board was neat!”
“Teaching is not about charisma, it’s about detail, each day I need to be on top of everything.”
Teaching is something that gives meaning. It is a hard job, it is rewarding. Every child deserves a great education,
regardless of their background.
#nowteach #education
https://nowteach.org.uk/
#Lucy Kellaway “I’m becoming a teacher at 58 This is why you should join me”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LilaqTaQ6ss