Inspiring careers: Only the brave teach
This is the second instalment of our Inspiring Careers series, where we celebrate the extraordinary stories of Asian women making an impact across various fields. Through this series, we take an in-depth look at their career journeys, exploring the challenges they've faced, the milestones they've achieved, and the priceless insights they have gained along the way. We hope these stories will inspire, motivate, and offer practical advice to elevate your own career journey.
In this second instalment, we're excited to feature Kiran Sethi, one of our very own founders, as she shares her career path as a teacher. Despite the fact that teaching remains an industry where women of colour are still underrepresented, Kiran reflects on the profound influence that women of colour can have on the children they teach. Her experiences highlight not only the importance of representation in education but also the lasting impact of diverse educators in shaping the lives of future generations.
Get ready to be inspired by Kiran’s insights and powerful advice on how we can continue to break barriers, uplift one another, and foster an inclusive and transformative learning environment.
Why perseverance is essential in the classroom
The statistics show most teachers leave the profession within the first five years. Thirteen years since I started my teacher training journey and I’ve beaten the odds. In the UK we are in the middle of a teacher recruitment and retention crisis. Teaching, particularly in secondary schools, is not for the faint hearted. The starting salary for teachers is £31,650 for a reason - it’s hard work! (1). The education sector is struggling to get qualified subject specialist teachers across STEM subjects in particular(2), including chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science which offer a £28,000 bursary. Biology, design and technology, geography and languages (including ancient languages) have a bursary of £25,000 (3). Even art and design, English, music and RE have bursaries of £10,000.
A unique path: From Law graduate to Science teacher
Although I graduated in Law with Business Administration, because of my science A Levels I qualified to get onto the subject knowledge enhancement course for Chemistry and began my journey as a science teacher. My point is, whether or not you have a STEM related degree, there are avenues to explore.
I have been employed as a teacher in three secondary schools across the West Midlands. All of them had varying demographics ranging from predominantly white working class mixed sex school to very multicultural inner city boys school. The training years are tough. I know I’m not selling it, just carry on, I promise I’ve got a point.
First experiences teaching : resilience in action
My first school taught me that those in more influential roles are only sometimes right and that these young people grow up and remember you, their teacher, you influenced them, even if you didn’t realise. My training period, which they then called my NQT, was at a school with a sixth form. During the interview they examined my chemistry knowledge and were so pleased they wanted me to timetable me with predominantly sixth form delivering A Level and some Applied Science. This was great for my ego and it was going well, I thought. My teaching mentor at the time observed me with a key stage three class and fed back that essentially I wasn’t doing great and put me ‘at risk’ of failing my training year . I had the class once a week and on reflection of course that wasn’t enough to practice embedding routine and behaviours, etc. I blamed myself. Looking back, I know that just wasn’t fair and that I needed more exposure. Instead I was put at risk of failing my trainee year and had my confidence knocked. I left. That’s not quite the end of that chapter though. The year after leaving, strolling around the Bullring I had someone I taught on the Applied Science course holler and have a quick chat with me. He remembered me and was very pleasant. Many years later at my family home, my niece was having maths tuition. I poked my head through to say hello and realised the tutor was a student from my A Level Chemistry class. We chatted and he said I was a good teacher. This helped restore my confidence and reminded me that judgements are not helpful and it’s constructive feedback which is important. It also reminded me that in teaching it is only really the young people that really get how much you do everyday, a spot check observation won’t pick up on that. Over the years I have had some feedback I’ve agreed with, and some I haven’t. It’s important to handle feedback with humility and with an open mind. It is also important not to take to heart one person's opinion, particularly in teaching where everyone's teaching styles are different. Resilience is key.
The power of representation: teaching as a woman of colour
I worked at my second school for ten years, this time taught me how to teach well and how to be proud of being a minority ethnic in a majority white staff and student school. I somewhat represented the Asian community to other teachers and students as throughout my time there I was the only one, or at some points there may have been one or two other Asian teachers at the school at a given point in time. This school had a high proportion of white working class students. I feel I opened up the eyes of my colleagues to being Asian and its related joys and challenges. It opened their eyes and I hope I have made friendships that will last for many years to come. Two learners emailed me after they left. One was a Pakistani girl who married shortly after leaving and emailed me about how excited she was to get married. She used to come to my lessons and show me pictures of her when she didn’t wear a hijab in her beautiful Asian attire. There were no other Asian teachers for her to share her cultural experiences who would resonate like I did. Another Pakistani girl used to share her worries about ‘coming out’ to her family. She used to think of all the ways she could tell her parents about her being a lesbian and what she will do one day when she has the courage and how they were in denial. I knew she needed a listening ear of someone who was an older Asian woman and fully accepted her for who she was, an intelligent lovely young girl. I passed her in Birmingham, years later, she was delighted to see me and chat, she mentioned she still hasn’t said anything but was pleased to have seen me. To this day I try to take interest in each learner as an individual , relating and accepting individuals without judgement and instead with love and kindness.
Leading with empathy: lessons from working at a multicultural School
Finally, I have been working at a very multicultural boys school. This school has taught me you never quite know the impact you have had on a student. One quote I have come across is that a child can turn their life around simply because a teacher believes in them. One boy got frustrated and was swearing in class, as this was not a standalone incident, a meeting with mum was arranged. I met mum, initially without her son in the room to gauge the backdrop of his behaviour. It soon became apparent he actually likes me as a teacher and the subject I teach only since I’ve started. At home he had been apologetic and said he would never want to hurt me as I am the reason he has found a new passion for the subject and new sense of purpose. I was overwhelmed. I learned from this that behind closed doors you leave this impression and you have no idea. We since had meaningful restorative conversations and he is certainly maturing to be a young man who is a bit more calm and collected than he was some months before. After this meeting and getting to know many other boys at the school it has become apparent that I am the same age range as a lot of their mums. As much as they need male role models, which they really do, sometimes I guess it can be comforting to have a woman of colour playing a nurturing role at school too.
Final thoughts: finding purpose in teaching
I have shared here a few stories from my teaching years, I have many more that could form a book, maybe I will one day of all the joys and tribulations of a teacher. The stories are a bit biased as they depict the good times. Teaching is very stressful, there is no hiding from self-reflection and self-development and I have cried many times for one reason or another. Any job when you are dealing with people is hard. Relationships are hard. When you do the work on yourself it will only benefit you and everyone around you. I have learnt to have humour, tact, depth and frankness in my approach to adults as well as young people. I have learnt they pick up on your authenticity instantly and judge quickly and if you are a good person, you mean well and you listen, the kindness will be returned. When you have learners who have lost hope, you are there. When you have lost hope, they might just surprise you. Teaching is not easy but if you are on a spiritual journey like myself, teaching can provide purpose and keep you in the present. I hope I have given you some insight into the nuggets and truths of teaching as an Asian woman in secondary schools across the West Midlands.
Useful links
NEU Teacher Pay scale - https://neu.org.uk/advice/your-rights-work/pay/pay-scales/pay-scales-england
TES - Labour urged to ‘bring forward measures’ to tackle teacher supplyhttps://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/labour-must-take-action-teacher-recruitment-retention-crisis
3. Department of Education Funding - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-initial-teacher-training-itt/funding-initial-teacher-training-itt-academic-year-2024-to-2025