01/09/2026
Thoughts I have as an ex-teacher in September!
September used to feel like a second New Year.
A fresh timetable. New classes. A reason to reset, reorganise and settle into a routine that would carry me through the rest of the year.
Now, September arrives—and my days stay largely the same.
Over the summer, friends have been on holiday or enjoying a slower pace while I’ve continued working. Now they’re returning, catching up and finding their routines again, but I don’t have that same clear sense of beginning.
Sometimes, that leaves me feeling as though I’ve lost part of my identity. Teaching is such a recognised, easily understood career. Stepping away from it can make my choices feel less visible—or somehow less valid—even when I know that isn’t true.
But I’m beginning to understand that leaving the classroom didn’t mean leaving behind the part of me that teaches.
I can still encourage people, share what I know and make a difference in someone’s life. It just looks different now.
Maybe this September isn’t about going ‘back’ for me.
Maybe it’s about continuing to build a new version of purpose, identity and routine—one that doesn’t need a school calendar to make it meaningful.
🤍
