Jess Wythe (she/her) is a Visiting Lecturer in Childhood, Youth and Community and a second year EdD candidate at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom. Her research interests are centered around Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and the educational value of school trips to heritage sites. Jess published her first journal article in 2022 which was a study concerning how the Coronavirus restrictions impacted the transition from early years education to Key Stage 1 for learners in a specialist provision setting. Twitter: @wythejess LinkedIn: jesswythe

When Dreams Fall Apart: Mental Health and New Beginnings in Academia and Beyond

In this motivational article, the author reflects on his mental health journey of realising teaching wasn’t his dream job after all and starting over in an academia-adjacent career. The article highlights the value of clear boundaries between work and home, of prioritising mental health in academia and beyond, and of being brave enough to choose another road when you reach a dead end.

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Coping with Bereavement During a PhD: Grow Around the Grief

Grief is a lesser-discussed topic in academia, but processing grief due to the loss of a loved one compounds the challenges of doing a PhD. In this thought-provoking article, Kathryn Zacharek shares her experience of navigating a PhD during bereavement, where she took time out, leaned on her support networks, and researched ways to let her life ‘grow around the grief’.

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