By: Blonde Two
The chances are that if you are a mum (or dad) of school age children, you are feeling slightly chuffed this week that your (wonderful but exhausting) offspring are sitting their collective backsides down once more on the seat of learning.
I’ve been a mum of three; I know how long the summer holidays can feel. Go on, admit it; no matter how much fun has been had; that first couple of days without the little darlings can feel like a sigh of relief.
But spare a thought for a moment, for the teachers. Think about what it feels like to entertain, cajole, discipline and educate (yes, parents do it too) two youngsters for six weeks.
Now picture yourself in a room just twice as big as your lounge with thirty (25 nice, 5 horrid) of them either all either demanding your attention, or all completely ignoring you. You can’t imagine it because it is too awful? Well of course it is; and that is because you didn’t sit up until midnight last night planning how to entertain, cajole, discipline and educate them.
Let’s pretend you did; and that you have a raft of entertaining, cajoling, disciplining and educational activities at your fingertips. Can you imagine it now? Trouble is, you are tired aren’t you? Tired because before you sat up until midnight last night planning; you spent all day with thirty (25 nice, 5 horrid) minors, phoned the 5 parents of the 5 horrid ones, attended a meeting about yet another marking system, tidied the classroom, marked 10 out of 30 books (oh no wait, 25 books, the 5 horrid ones didn’t do any work), ironed a suitable outfit for today, cooked a nutritious tea for a teenager who will only eat cheese and chicken livers, walked said teenager’s dog and picked up a calming-down prescription from the pharmacist.
For the first time in sixteen years, I am not going back to school this week; but my thoughts are with my friends (especially Blonde One) who are. Like parenting (and it is a lot like parenting) teaching is a tough job; even more so if you care (and most do) about those in your charge. Negotiating your way to half-term can be a bit like trying to find the top of Crane Hill, in a metre’s visibility, through the bogs around Cranmere Pool, up the side of Killer Valley, in the wind around Hangingstone Hill, with the clitter of Great Mis Tor tied to your boots, wrapped in an orange storm shelter and with Bowerman’s Nose strapped to your back.
Increasingly, only the tough are managing to do it. So please, spare them a thought today!
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/mar/31/four-in-10-new-teachers-quit-within-a-year
I have some empathy. High Horse (daughter) is in the throws; this week attending seemingly futile inset days before she finds herself under the wall of the bursting dam next week. BUT spare a thought for the family members (and others) who will be back on child minding duty for the younger progeny of those teachers.
I am sparing that thought as we speak. There are lots of positives of course and elements that I miss; but I like being able to sleep at night and not grumping (so much) at my family!
I agree with your comments about inset days Conrad! I have had my first day of the term teaching today and I realised that I do love teaching; it’s all the nonsense that spoils it!
My mum did it for years, bringing up three kids on her own. I remember her falling asleep in front of the TV night after night, and that was before the current lesson planning and Ofsted inspection routines! I’ve always had the greatest respect for teachers and often wished many of our politicians – especially certain ex-journalists with intellectual pretensions – did as well.
My mum too – similar story. I swore at eighteen that I wasn’t going to do it! There are a lot of positives, particularly the young people; but the pressures are enormous.
It was tough enough twenty years ago – a pack of wolves wouldn’t chase me back into the classroom now. My heart goes out to all the young teachers who are in their first few weeks; I was down to less than 3 hours sleep a night, term in, term out, my last five teaching years.
Being able to sleep again is one thing that I am enjoying. I am going back later this year, but not for ever!
Nice post Blonde Two! I’ve been lucky enough to have spent time today with some fab teenagers who have reminded me that I love my job (mostly)!
hi everyboady have you got a spare teacher?
no i have’ve not got any spare teachers.