I had my first day back at school during the week and it was wonderful to see colleagues and have a catch up about the strangest five months of our teaching careers so far. It also feels safe in school, with good, solid measures in place on the back of constantly updated advice.

I got speaking to a teacher who I didn’t recognise and she said, “I’m just a probationer teacher.” I just want to reflect on the phrase “I’m just a…” I’ve been bad for using this over the years when mixing at conferences - when people ask what I do, I always say “I’m just a teacher”.

If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it’s quite simply that there is no “just a” job in a school. Let’s explore some of these misconceptions:

‘I’m just a teacher’

Who turned their way of working upside down overnight? Who is constantly pushing the new innovations they have just learned to use? Who has been there to support each other with getting to grips with technology? “Just a teacher” doesn’t exist. Teachers are absolute professionals and have shown this during Covid, and will continue to do this by getting back out there this month with confidence and calmness to give the pupils the support they need to know they are safe to be here.

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‘I’m just support staff’

Support staff are the heartbeat of many classes and play a massive role in the lives of pupils. Support assistants are the ones who pupils often share issues of mental health with, and, after five months of uncertainty, I’d imagine this will happen lots over the coming weeks.

‘I’m just a janitor/just a cleaner’

Nah. Our janitorial staff are the ones who have been in over the summer deep cleaning and setting up safe cleansing zones throughout the school. They have had to rethink safety measures in myriad ways and have added to their workload because of this. Our janitors and cleaners are a massive part of our school and I think off the back of this pandemic, will continue to be so but with -deservedly - more recognition than ever.

‘I’m just SMT’

Yes, senior leaders can be overly self-deprecating because they don’t spend as much time in the classroom as they used to. But they have led by example these past few months. They worked extremely hard before the summer break to have a contingency put in place which, although not used (yet), was appreciated by all who could see what effort had gone in. Since then the procedures put in place to make school safe for staff and pupils alike have been spearheaded by our SMT.

‘I’m just catering staff’

A massive part of the school for many and for some pupils it is the only contact for a full and healthy meal every day. Catering staff will be there, with additional measures in place to make sure our pupils get their lunch. “Just a member of catering staff” doesn’t exist - you are providing an invaluable service.

Now that we are starting one of the most unusual teaching years ever, I hope we can all make sure to remember to value everyone around us, and to tell them that we do. If you work in a school, whoever you are, you are way more than “just a job” to me.

Adam Black is a teacher in Scotland who, in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list, received the British Empire Medal for raising awareness of stammering