The main reason I didn't last more than 13 years teaching in the UK school system.

I wasn’t compliant.

I didn’t follow the rules of my senior leaders very well because most often I simply did not agree with them.

I started my career as a qualified teacher at the age of 25. But I was teaching from the age of 18. As soon as I turned 18, I was teaching in my gym creche. I then worked as a nanny for several years to several beautiful children. I taught Spanish at Primary/GCSE/A level and then I became qualified as a teacher.

The first 3 years in teaching were a messy blur. I was young. I followed the rules - but I really struggled. You see - straight away, I didn’t agree with many things.

After about 8 years teaching, that’s when things got really messy for me and I woke up.

I was at the top of my career (UPS 3) and there was no where else for me to go. I had no desire to become a senior leader. Even less of a desire to become deputy head or head teacher. If I stayed in teaching, I would have simply just stayed at UPS 3 (I doubt I would have lasted much longer anyway).

Once you become ‘expensive’, they want you out! That’s the truth no one wants new teachers to know. You will be replaced in a heart beat by a teacher who costs far less than you do!

The main issue was that I just didn’t follow their rules and they detested me for it.

One cold December morning, the heating wasn’t working at school and I asked my students to keep their coats and scarves on. I did too. We were just sitting doing story writing and the deputy head stormed into my year 4 classroom - she was furious. She yelled at my students and told them all to remove their coats. All 30 of them stared at me. I shook my head from side to side. No one moved. ‘Miss Mazarese, to my office now,’ were the exact words of my deputy head. I liked her very much by the way (as a person). As a Deputy Head, all she wanted was control. I did not like that.

The Deputy Head proceeded to tell me ‘the rules’. I listened. Then I told her this. ‘You tell my students to take their coats off again and I will walk out of this building.’

Let’s just say that I didn’t walk out of the building but she was not impressed!

That’s just one example for you!

So, I write this for those of you aspiring to become teachers. Not to put you off but to inform you as I wish I had been informed. I write this to let you, my current clients to let you know more about my background and experience in teaching. I write this to let you, my prospective new clients know more about me and my experience of teaching. I have a lot to write about teaching in schools and I will. I have nothing to hide and I’m not afraid to speak openly anymore.