Hi!
I’m Kit Rackley (they/she) or ‘Rackers’, as affectionately called by past students – at least I hope affectionately! I was a full-time high school teacher in the UK for 13 years.
I moved to Norwich in 2001 to go to the University of East Anglia (UEA); it was a breath of fresh air for me. I loved every minute of my Environmental Science degree – and didn’t mind it all that I had to work very hard for it. I specialised in meteorology and climate change, subjects I still hold close to my heart – but I love that being a high school teacher in the wider field of Geography has allowed me to put those issues into a range of wider contexts and work with amazing colleagues and young people.
Since becoming a teacher, I’ve been very driven to both improve my own professional development and the standards of the school and students. Recently in the past few years my mind has started to wander. Well-documented stresses and strains on all teachers, plus becoming a parent for the first time in 2014 made me realise that I needed a fresh perspective or at the very least, to push the reset button. Perhaps it’s the early onset of a mid-life crisis? Who knows…
I started to diversify, to keep myself feeling relevant and refreshed – my head teacher (principal) was kind enough to allow me to pursue my professional development outside the school, from helping to train teachers to giving talks and professional development on a national scale, particularly for the Geographical Association (www.geography.org.uk). Then these things started to become, let’s say, gasps of fresh air in the smog, and I felt my love of the job (really through no one’s fault) drifting away.
With a range of professional and personal reasons in tow, I decided that I request some leave. I was delighted that this was accepted, and although the process hasn’t been straight forward, it became a reality. The resulting sabbatical year (2017-18), documented by this blog, was an incredible experience, and led to me making the tough decision to leave the teaching profession… at least for now. But, I am still very much involved in education.
Teachers, I’m hoping you’ll find this blog useful, as I intend to give educational insight and some tangible resources; and everyone else, at the very least entertaining. I’ll be adding to my portfolio of free and downloadable resources as I go along, and my blog entries will be indexed to GCSE syllabuses.
If you want to collaborate with me, give me a shout!
– September 2018
Kit Marie Rackley (they/she) is an award-winning ex high-school Geography teacher in the UK. Throughout that time and continuing today, Kit Marie provides teacher continuous professional development (CPD) and training, which previously included a role as Associate Tutor for the School of Education at the University of East Anglia.
Kit Marie has worked as an education consultant and project manager with climate and energy scientists, including researchers based at NOAA Boulder, Colorado and as an educator and trainer at the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, California, and is now freelance consultant with the UK’s Geographical Association and the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT). They are a published educational author, including works with National Geographic Kids and Diverse Educators.Kit Marie is a strong and passionate advocate of youth voice and empowerment, decolonising the curriculum, and inclusive and intersectional education. Much of their work revolves around the climate crisis, focusing around framing it as a school safeguarding issue. Kit Marie runs an educational resource blog at Geogramblings.com, and is host and producer of the Coffee & Geography podcast.
Disclaimer: This blog documents my own personal reflections, opinions and ideas and do not represent the views of any organisation or establishment. Wherever possible, blog posts and resources will contain citations, links and references which source stances and opinions of others.
Geogramblings 