Editor’s note: In 2021, Paul Laing won EduResearch Matters Blog/Blogger of the Year Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to public understanding and debate of educational issues, for his post My teacher sucks’: how teacher shortages shatter learning. A year later, he has taken leave from his job as principal at a regional school in NSW. Here Paul tweets about his decision and the impact on his life.
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.01.12-am-1-902x406.png?resize=615%2C277&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.06.12-am-902x420.png?resize=615%2C286&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.07.35-am-902x450.png?resize=615%2C307&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/poor-pedigree-902x443.png?resize=615%2C302&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.09.50-am-902x424.png?resize=615%2C289&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.10.06-am.png?resize=615%2C314&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.10.42-am-444x605.png?resize=444%2C605&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.11.05-am-902x352.png?resize=615%2C240&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.11.23-am-902x424.png?resize=615%2C289&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-08-at-11.11.42-am-902x330.png?resize=615%2C225&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/blog.aare.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-29-at-9.12.57-pm.png?resize=458%2C605&ssl=1)
Paul Laing is a doctoral research student (EdD) at the University of New South Wales and he has a background teaching languages across a broad range of schools in NSW. He has worked as a classroom teacher, Head Teacher, Deputy Principal and Principal, as well as a Teacher Quality Advisor and Curriculum Advisor. His current research includes exploring the relationship between working memory span before and after instruction. He has a keen interest in cognitive load theory and the contribution of cognitive science to learning design.