It may involve, for example, building a more systematic evaluation practice. It may involve revisiting fundamentals such as lesson planning. It may involve collaborative working. It may even involve reading education theory. None of this is retrograde. I spent many years teaching pretty well without a word of theory in my head; but when I did read it, it made sense to me and improved my practice. Returning to your own development – teaching your – self teaching – is more meaningful the more you know. To take the simple example of observing other people teaching: student teachers do this. You may remember it. In September, three weeks into your training you sit at the back of classrooms and are frankly amazed and largely bewildered by what you see. It tells you almost nothing, except that there’s lot of stuff that you can’t do. Even a few months later – next summer, for example – that same activity has a meaning. Now you know what you’re looking at. You may need now to switch into a new mode of being a teacher; to return to explicit and targeted learning. This does not deny your experience or achievements; on the contrary, it depends on them.