From Bathroom Tiles to A-Level Triumphs

At the risk of making my blog repeatedly about lavatories… three days in a small bathroom have taught me something about teaching.

I’ve always been grateful to the teaching assistants who offered to take over my admin jobs when they caught me at the photocopier. But I usually declined — there’s a quiet satisfaction in completing a task with a clear end point and a neat pile of finished work.

This week, tiling a bathroom gave me that feeling in spades. Standing back this morning, I felt that same rare sense of completion… until I spotted the bumps in the wall, the uneven lines, and the gap that still needs a shelf to hide it. Still, it’s neater, it’s done, and it’ll add value. Maybe a B.

As I was working on the bathroom today, the radio shared some of today’s A-level stories — the joy, relief, and milestones for students. In education, clear “end points” are rare. Even the best results have a backstory: the struggles, the broken “tiles” along the way, and the lessons learned that make the next attempt stronger.

So, congratulations to every student receiving your “tidy” recognition today. Be proud of the visible result, but remember: it’s the imperfections you worked through that will help you build something even greater.