‘Returning to the classroom was my silver lining’

FFollowing a big move and faced with an empty nest, Sara Harper Stevens, 56, embarked on a new career as a teacher.

ifteen years ago, my life looked like this: I lived in northern France with my husband, Nigel, and our two daughters, Freya and Lydia. Having left behind my career in finance, I was a stay-at-home mum. We loved our relaxed lifestyle in France – it was idyllic.

We moved to France for Nigel’s job with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 2008, when the girls were six and 11. None of us could speak much French at first, but Nigel picked it up quickly at work, while Freya and Lydia got to grips with it at school. I’d help

them with their homework with an English-french dictionary to hand.

I was also taking French literacy lessons. It inspired me to volunteer at my daughters’ school, doing extracurricular English lessons for children. Word spread and I launched a course for adults, too.

In 2018, Nigel’s work needed him back in the UK. We had three months to pack up and move to a village in Shropshire. It was quite an upheaval. Freya had already gone to university, and was studying for a year abroad in South America. Lydia was also looking at university options and was eager to study abroad.

Faced with the prospect of an empty nest in a new place, I wanted a way to fill my time – a job entirely different from what I’d done before. I enjoyed the perks of my previous career in finance – nice company car, good pay – but having led a simpler life, those things didn’t matter to me so much any more. It felt more important to put something into society.

Everything pointed towards teaching. It was an idea I’d mulled over, but change is difficult, so often you don’t do it until you have a real reason to. A fresh start in England was the motivation I needed.

I became a teaching assistant before enrolling at university to study a PGCE course while joining Now Teach. There were plenty of younger people on my course, but I wasn’t the oldest, either! It was encouraging to see other women my age doing the same. I’d also heard Lucy Kellaway, co-founder of Now Teach, on the radio, speaking about the challenges she’d faced while becoming a teacher. It inspired me and showed that you can enter teaching in your 50s, make mistakes and still be successful.

I think we often underestimate ourselves. Just because something is difficult, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it – put in the work until you can.

I qualified as an English teacher in 2021 and began teaching at a secondary school in Telford, which was close to where we lived. I remember early on, standing in front of the class and realising I was on my own. But seeing all the pupils gazing back at me wasn’t as terrifying as some might think. The responsibility to help them learn was on my shoulders – that motivated me.

I’ve been at the same secondary school for nearly four years now. I love being surrounded by young people. Teaching is a lot of hard work but it’s also very worthwhile. My work gives me a great sense of achievement and I’ve avoided empty nest syndrome by staying focused on a goal.

People always say to look for a silver lining when faced with challenges.

I think that when my life was suddenly in upheaval, teaching gave me mine.

 nowteach.org.uk

Change is difficult, often you don’t do it until you have to