Chapter 1: The road less travelled

As a teacher with over 20 years’ experience working with reluctant grumpy teenagers – well not all of them; some of them are motivated and charming human beings – I am now faced with a situation that I thought I was well equipped for. A mum to a GCSE student.I recognise that I have miraculously managed to produce a well-mannered, academically high-achieving, and likeable son, who performs well in school and, at times, acknowledges that I may actually know what I am talking about when it comes to English GCSE.However, I am beginning to appreciate on a whole new level, how hard it is for teenagers and their families to navigate this transition. But how do I use my experience of education to go from being a mum to a teacher mum?