We often talk about careers as progression, but for many women in education, they are better understood as a process of becoming. I can see the transition of my professional identity through roles shaped by my personal life.

In the mid-1990s, I was a new teacher working out the kind of teacher I wanted to become, experiencing both success and uncertainty. Five years later, I was a mother, returning after six months to a part-time role. After a year, I returned to full-time work to support both financial stability and career progression. This created a tension between my professional aspirations and my desire to be present as a mother.

Later, as a senior leader, I faced the competing demands of leadership while caring for parents with Alzheimer’s disease, which led me to take a career break. Now, as I prepare to return to education having completed my PhD, my sense of myself as a leader has shifted. I place greater value on authenticity, empathy and connection with colleagues.

This pattern is familiar to many women in education. Careers rarely follow a linear path. Instead, they are shaped by transitions that bring both opportunity and tension, as teachers navigate the emotional demands of the profession alongside caring responsibilities. This is not a new issue. The recent Key Group Report (2025) found that mothers returning from maternity leave are more likely to remain in teaching if they work part-time. Women in their thirties also represent the largest group leaving the profession, accounting for nearly one in four of the 40,000 teachers who left between 2022 and 2024. These figures highlight how career decisions are often shaped by context rather than choice, and how professional and personal identities can come into conflict.

Professional identity is not fixed. It is shaped by experience, relationships and context, and evolves over time. When teachers have a strong sense of identity, they are more likely to feel motivated and resilient in the face of everyday pressures. However, when identity is fragile, confidence can diminish, leading teachers to question their competence and, in some cases, leave the profession.

One of the clearest findings from my research is that identity formation is relational rather than individual. It is built through interactions with colleagues, leaders and students, and strengthened when teachers feel recognised and valued. When these relationships are not supportive, identity can become fragile, particularly early in a career. School culture, leadership and workload therefore play a far greater role in shaping identity than policy frameworks alone. It is these everyday conditions that determine whether a teacher’s professional identity can develop and endure.

If identity is shaped in this way, the question becomes: what conditions help it to grow and sustain? Identity develops in environments where teachers feel trusted and supported. Within such cultures, autonomy is not simply given but shaped by context, allowing teachers to exercise professional agency. Through this, teachers make meaningful decisions about their practice and strengthen their sense of identity. Confidence builds over time through supported growth rather than constant judgement. Equally important are strong relationships, where teachers feel seen and valued. Networks such as WomenEd play a vital role in creating these spaces of connection and support.

Professional identity is not something we arrive at and then hold steady. It continues to evolve through the experiences and contexts that shape our working lives. For many women, this process reflects the reality of navigating multiple roles over time. If we are serious about supporting teachers to remain and thrive, the focus must move beyond policy and towards creating the conditions in which identity can develop and endure. This means building cultures of trust, enabling professional agency and fostering the relationships that allow teachers to feel confident in who they are becoming.

Kate Sida-Nicholls, FCCT

References

West Jones, N. (2025) What Happens to teachers after maternity leave? The Key Group.