In this powerful reissue from our archive, we revisit the story of Katie Stone, a teacher who resisted the profession for years before finally entering via the TA route and discovering a love for the classroom.

From her PGCE at Manchester Met to seven years in teaching, Katie describes how the joy of working with children was eroded by pressure, exhaustion and an informal “support plan” that left her anxious, confused and eventually signed off with work-related stress. Pregnant at the time and coping with grief after losing a child, the relentless scrutiny pushed her into panic attacks and left her unable to continue.

Katie opens up about the guilt of stepping away, the impact on her young family, and how she slowly rebuilt her confidence. Today she runs a thriving virtual assistant agency, supporting education businesses with the very organisational and communication skills that once went unrecognised in school.

Her story is a reminder that teaching skills are transferable, resilience can be rebuilt, and there is life - and success - beyond the classroom.

With thanks to our episode sponsors (Click to visit their websites):

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Thanks for listening 🙏
Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real